YH  00262 


UC-NRLF 


SOME  ABORIGINAI 


,D  RIVER 


By  CLARENCE  B.   MOORE 


WRITINGS   ON    ARCHAEOLOGY. 

BY  CLARENCE  B.  MOORE. 

Certain  Shell  Heaps  of  the  St.  Johns  River,  Florida,  hitherto  unexplored.  The  American 
Naturalist,  Nov.,  1892,  to  Jany.,  1894,  inclusive.  Five  papers  with  illustrations  in  text, 
and  maps. 

Certain  Sand  Mounds  of  the  St.  Johns  Kiver,  Florida,  Parts  I  and  II.  Journal  of  the  Acad 
emy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  Philadelphia,  1894.  Vol.  X.  Quarto*  130  and 
123  pages.  Frontispieces,  maps,  plates,  illustrations  in  the  text. 

Certain  Sand  Mounds  of  Duval  County,  Florida;  Two  Mounds  on  Murphy  Island,  Florida;  Cer 
tain  Sand  Mounds  of  the  Ocklawaha  Kiver,  Florida.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila., 
1895.  Vol.  X.  Quarto,  108  pages.  Frontispiece,  maps,  plates,  illustrations  in  text. 

Additional  Mounds  of  Duval  and  of  Clay  Counties,  Florida;  Mound  Investigation  on  the  East 
Coast  of  Florida;  Certain  Florida  Coast  Mounds  north  of  the  St.  Johns  Eiver.  Private 
ly  printed,  Philadelphia,  1896.  Quarto,  30  pages.  Map,  plates,  illustrations  in  text. 

Certain  Aboriginal  Mounds  of  the  Georgia  Coast.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1897.  Vol. 
XI.  Quarto,  144  pages.  Frontispiece,  map,  plates,  illustrations  in  text. 

Certain  Aboriginal  Mounds  of  the  Coast  of  South  Carolina;  Certain  Aboriginal  Mounds  of  the 
Savannah  Eiver;  Certain  Aboriginal  Mounds  of  the  Altamaha  Kiver;  Recent  Acquisi 
tions;  A  Cache  of  Pendent  Ornaments.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  *of  Phila.,  1898.  Vol. 
XI.  Quarto,  48  pages.  Frontispiece,  maps,  illustrations  in  text. 

Certain  Aboriginal  Remains  of  the  Alabama  River.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1899. 
Vol.  XI.  Quarto,  62  pages.  Map,  illustrations  in  text. 

Certain  Antiquities  of  the  Florida  West-Coast.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1900.  Vol. 
XI.  Quarto,  46  pages.  Maps,  illustrations  in  text. 

Certain  Aboriginal  Remains  of  the  Northwest  Florida  Coast,  Part  I;  Certain  Aboriginal  Re 
mains  of  the  Tombigbee  River.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1901.  Vol.  XI.  Quar 
to,  100  pages.  Maps,  illustrations  in  text. 

Certain  Aboriginal  Remains  of  the  Northwest  Florida  Coast,  Part  II.  Journ.  Acsd.  Nat. 
Sci.  of  Phila.,  1902.  Vol.  XII.  Quarto,  235  pages.  Maps,  illustrations  in  text. 

Certain  Aboriginal  Mounds  of  the  Central  Florida  West-Coast;  Certain  Aboriginal  Mounds  of 
the  Apalachicola  River.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1903.  Vol.  XII.  Quarto,  136 
pages.  Maps,  illustrations  in  text. 

Sheet-copper  from  the  Mounds  is  not  Necessarily  of  European  Origin.  American  Anthropol 
ogist,  Jan.-March,  1903.  Plates  in  text. 

The  So-called  "Hoe-shaped  Implement."  American  Anthropologist,  July-Sept.,  1903.  Illus 
trations  in  text. 

Aboriginal  Urn-burial  in  the  United  States.     American  Anthropologist,  Oct.-Dec.,  1904.  Plate.  • 

A  Form  of  Urn-burial  on  Mobile  Bay.     American  Anthropologist,  Jan.-March,  1905. 

Certain  Aboriginal  Remains  of  the  Black  Warrior  River  [Moundville]  ;  Certain  Aboriginal  Re 
mains  of  the  Lower  Tombigbee  River;  Certain  Aboriginal  Reinains  of  Mobile  Bay  and 
Mississippi  Sound;  Miscellaneous  Investigation  in  Florida.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of 
Phila..  1905.  Vol.  XIII.  Quarto,  206  pages.  Maps,  illustrations  in  text. 

Moundville  Revisited;  Crystal  River  Revisited;  Mounds  of  the  Lower  Chattahoochee  and  Low 
er  Flint  Rivers;  Notes  on  the  Ten  Thousand  Islands,  Florida.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci. 
of  Phila.,  1907.  Vol.  XIII.  Quarto,  144  pages.  Maps,  illustrations  in  text. 

Certain  Mounds  of  Arkansas  and  of  Mississippi  (including  Doctor  Hrdlicka's  paper  on  the 
Crania).  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1908.  Vol.  XIII.  Quarto,  130  pages.  Map*, 
illustrations  in  text,  eight  colored  plates. 

Antiquities  of  the  Ouachita  Valley.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1909.  Vol.  XIV.  Quar 
to,  170  pages.  Maps,  illustrations  in  text,  eight  colored  plates.  (In  addition  in  this 
number  is  Doctor  Hrdlicka's  paper  on  the  skeletal  remains.) 

Antiquities  of  the  St.  Francis,  White,  and  Black  Rivers.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila., 
1910.  Vol.  XIV.  Quarto,  112  pages.  Maps,  illustrations  in  text,  twenty  colored 
plates. 

Some  Aboriginal  Sites  on  Mississippi  River.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1911.  Vol.  XIV. 
Quarto,  116  pages.  Map,  illustrations  in  text,  eight  colored  plates. 

Some  Aboriginal  Sites  on  Red  River.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1912.  Vol.  XIV. 
Quarto,  163  pages.  Map,  plans,  illustrations  in  text,  eight  colored  plates. 


Some  Aboriginal  Sites  on  Red  River 


BY 


CLARENCE  B.  MOORE. 


REPRINT    FROM    THE    JOURNAL    OF    THE    ACADEMY    OF    NATURAL    SCIENCES 

OF    PHILADELPHIA,    VOL.    XIV. 


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SOME   ABORIGINAL  SITES  ON    RED   RIVER. 
Br  CLARENCE  B.  MOORE. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Red  river  has  its  source  in  extreme  northwestern  Texas  and  takes  an  east 
erly  course,  bounded  most  of  the  way  on  the  north  by  the  State  of  Oklahoma  and 
on  the  south  by  Texas,  until  southwestern  Arkansas  is  reached,  where  the  river 
continues  in  the  same  direction,  having  Little  River  county,  Arkansas,  on  the 
north  and  Bowie  county,  Texas,  on  the  south.  Next,  Red  river,  still  pursuing  an 
easterly  course  into  Arkansas,  has  part  of  Little  River  county  to  the  north  of  it 
and  Miller  county  to  the  south  until  within  a  short  distance  from  the  town  of  Ful 
ton,  whence  the  stream  takes  a  southerly  course,  having  Hempstead  and  Lafayette 
counties  on  the  east  and  Miller  county  on  the  west,  until  it  enters  the  State  of 
Louisiana. 

In  Louisiana,  Red  river  flows  in  a  southerly  and  then  southeasterly  direction 
until  it  joins  the  Atchafalaya  river  (locally  pronounced  Chaf-al-eye-yeh)  which 
continues  southward,  while  a  continuation  of  Red  river,  called  Old  river1  on  charts 
prepared  by  the  United  States  Corps  of  Engineers,  goes  a  distance  of  eight  miles  by 
water  eastward  to  Mississippi  river. 

Our  investigation,  this  season,  occupied  slightly  less  than  five  months  of  the 
latter  part  of  1911  and  the  earlier  portion  of  1912  and  covered  Red  river  (and  Old 
river)  from  the  junction  with  Mississippi  river  to  a  point  37  miles  by  water2  above 
Fulton,  Arkansas,  or  519  miles  in  all,  as  the  river  runs. 

As  we  have  explained  in  previous  reports,  our  archaeological  investigation  is 
conducted  from  a  steamer  of  light  draught,  one  hundred  feet  in  length,  over  all, 
which  enables  us  to  carry  material  necessary  for  the  work  and  an  ample  force  of 
men  to  attend  to  it. 

Mr.  J.  S.  Raybon,  captain  of  our  steamer,  as  a  rule  goes  over  in  advance  such 
territory  as  we  have  selected  for  our  investigation,  ascertaining  the  exact  location 
of  mounds  and  of  cemeteries  and  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  owners  of  these 
aboriginal  sites,  so  that,  later,  our  work  may  be  carried  on  without  the  delay  inci 
dental  to  search  and  to  correspondence. 

1  Presumably  in  former  times  what  is  now  called  Old  river  was  part  of  the  Mississippi.  As  Red 
river  is  now  connected  with  the  Mississippi  by  Old  river,  this  river  may  be  regarded  as  a  continuation 
of  Red  river,  and  in  fact  the  junction  of  Old  river  with  Mississippi  river  is  almost  universally  spoken 
of  as  the  mouth  of  Red  river. 

'Measured  miles,  as  given  by  charts  furnished  by  the  United  States  Corps  of  Engineers. 

61*  JOUEN.  A.  X.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


250966 


484  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON   RED   RIVER. 

The  preliminary  work  of  Captain  Raybon  and  a  companion  occupied  parts  of 
two  summers  and  covered  Old  river  and  all  that  part  of  Red  river  investigated  by 
us  with  the  exception  of  the  small  portion  above  Fulton  and  of  that  part  of  the 
stream  which  lies  between  its  union  with  Black  river  and  its  junction  with  Atcha- 
falaya  river,  27  miles  by  water,  which  is  mainly  swamp  and  which  we,  in  our  boat, 
searched  over  three  times  with  negative  results. 

Near  Natchitoches  (pronounced  Nack-ee-tosh)  Red  river  divides,  uniting  near 
Colfax,  below,  a  distance  of  about  43  miles  by  water.  The  westernmore  course  of 
the  river  is  known  as  Cane  river.  This  part  also,  now  navigable  only  in  times  of 
fairly  high  water,  was  carefully  searched  by  Captain  Raybon  but  was  not  investi 
gated  by  us  since  the  report  as  to  the  antiquities  along  it  was  unfavorable. 

Previous  to  our  work  there  had  been  no  investigation  of  the  antiquities  of  Red 
river :  digging  by  treasure-seekers ;  the  occasional  putting  down  of  small  holes  in 
mounds  by  local  residents  impelled  by  curiosity ;  or  infrequent  demolition  of  por 
tions  of  high  places  by  collectors  with  the  aid  of  scoops  drawn  by  horses,  can 
scarcely  be  termed  investigation. 

Unfortunately,  our  own  investigation  of  that  part  of  the  river  covered  by  us 
was  of  necessity  far  from  complete.  Aboriginal  cemeteries  which  are  in  level 
ground  where  unlimited  digging  ma}'  be  done,  for  reasons  to  be  given  later,  are 
almost  absent  along  Red  river,  so  that  our  field  for  productive  work  was  restricted 
to  mounds.  Now,  much  of  the  Red  river  country  is  an  overflow  region,  and 
mounds  are  often  places  of  refuge  for  domestic  animals  and  occasionally  for  inhab 
itants,  in  periods  of  high  water,  so  that  the  destruction  of  mounds  or  work  done  on 
them  which  may  lead  to  their  destruction  through  wash  of  water,  is  entirely  out 
of  the  question.  Consequently,  we  were  not  always  able  to  determine  the  exact 
nature  of  mounds.  However,  in  the  case  of  large,  flat-topped  tumuli  along  Red 
river  we  believe  it  can  be  said,  as  of  the  same  class  of  mounds  in  many  other 
regions,  that  they  were  built  for  places  of  residence  and  that  they  do  not  contain 
burials  except  occasionally,  and  when  burials  are  found  in  them  they  are  superficial. 

Our  investigation  along  Red  river  was  impeded  also  by  the  flood  that  pre 
vailed  during  the  latter  part  of  our  trip,  which  prevented  our  visiting  a  few  mounds 
and  in  several  cases  interfered  with  our  work  in  others.  Nevertheless,  we  believe 
we  shall  be  able  to  give  a  general  idea  of  the  antiquities  of  somew'hat  more  than 
the  lower  five  hundred  miles  of  Red  river. 

As  is  well  known,  the  lower  part  of  Red  river  was  explored  by  the  French 
not  long  after  their  settlement  in  Louisiana.  Tonti  tells  us  that  the  Indian  nations 
there  waged  cruel  war  on  each  other.  Penicaut,  early  in  the  eighteenth  century, 
went  up  Red  river  to  the  village  of  the  Natchitoches,  which  he  estimates  as  about 
195  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  river.  This  distance  would  place  the  settlement 
very  near  the  site  of  the  present  Natchitoches,  which  is  not  far  distant  from  the 
old  French  fort  built  by  La  Harpe  a  few  years  after  Penicaut' s  visit. 

We  endeavored  in  vain  to  identify  the  former  settlement  of  the  Tassenogoula, 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  485 

or  Nation1  of  the  Rocks,  which  Penicaut  says  formerly  dwelt  with  the  Natchez  and 
whose  customs  and  religion  were  the  same  as  those  of  the  people  of  that  tribe. 
Penicaut  places  this  village  as  six  leagues  above  Saline  river,2  at  the  base  of  a  chain 
of  hills  extending  north  and  south.  Hills  of  this  description  are  now  about  ten 
miles  farther  up  Red  river  than  according  to  Pc'nicaut' s  account.  However,  it 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  course  of  the  river  is  continually  changing,  and 
that  Penicaut,  though  he  made  a  close  estimate  as  to  the  location  of  Natchitoches, 
was  not  in  a  position  to  give  distances  with  any  degree  of  certainty.  Careful  inqui 
ries  made  by  us  near  the  base  of  these  hills  were  without  result. 

Throughout  the  Red  river  region  in  Louisiana,  one  hears  almost  nothing  of  the 
finding  of  bones  or  of  artifacts,  and  we  know  it  requires  but  few  discoveries  to  start 
considerable  talk.  But  little  seems  to  have  been  placed  in  such  mounds  as  there 
are  in  that  region,  and  presumably  fields  containing  cemeteries,  when  on  high 
ground,  have  been  denuded  of  the  soil  in  which  the  burials  were  by  the  action  of 
rain  on  earth  loosened  by  the  plow,  and  when  on  lowlands  they  have  been  washed 
bare  by  the  river  or  covered  by  deposits  from  it  in  periods  of  high  water.  The 
waters  of  Red  river  in  flood  time  are  charged  with  mud  to  a  degree  beyond  any  we 
have  seen  elsewhere.  Our  Captain  Raybon  informs  us  that  after  the  flood  of  1908 
he  saw  six  inches  of  deposit  on  the  floor  of  a  building  there ;  and  the  bottom  lands 
have  been  exposed  to  many  Hoods. 

Along  Red  river  in  Arkansas  conditions  in  the  main  are  different.  Stories  of 
the  discovery  of  Indian  objects — especially  pottery — and  mounds  containing  burials, 
some  of  them  richly  endowed  with  artifacts,  are  fairly  abundant.  Indeed,  we  know 
of  no  other  region  in  all  our  fields  of  investigation  where  the  proportion  of  deposits 
with  the  dead  was  so  great.  In  the  middle  Mississippi  region  (which  lies  to  the 
northward  of  the  Red  river  region  investigated  by  us),  where  the  lavish  use  of 
pottery  with  burials  has  been  so  often  described,  the  investigator  has  reached  the 
maximum  when  a  cemetery  yields  an  average  of  two  or  three  vessels  to  a  burial. 
Assuredly  many  burials  there  have  more  than  three  vessels,  but  many  others,  on 
the  other  hand,  have  nothing.  Along  Red  river  in  Arkansas,  to  come  upon  a 
burial  unaccompanied  by  artifacts  is  indeed  a  rare  occurrence. 

One  is  impressed  in  that  region,  however,  with  the  few  burials  in  the  mounds, — 
we  found  no  cemeteries  there,  as  the  reader  may  perceive, — and  we  believe  it  likely 
that  the  mounds  contain  the  burials  of  persons  of  note  and  that  the  cemeteries 
filled  with  burials  of  the  commoner  people  have  gone  in  the  same  manner  as,  pre 
sumably,  aboriginal  cemeteries  disappeared  in  the  Red  river  region  of  Louisiana. 
This  would  account  for  the  small  number  of  burials  found  in  the  Red  river  region 

'Penicaut  speaks  of  another  "nation"  of  Indians  which  numbered  only  about  two  hundred  men, 
so  it  is  hardly  likely  that  the  Tassenogoula  were  very  numerous.  "  Us  avoient  avec  eu.r  une  nation 
sauvage  de  leurs  amis,  d'environ  deux  cents  homines,  sans  leurs  femmes  et  enfans." — Pierre  Margry. 
"  Decouvertes,"  etc.,  Part  5,  p.  498. 

As  to  the  name  Tassenogoula  see  John  R.  Swanton,  "Indian  Tribes  of  the  Lower  Mississippi 
Valley  and  Adjacent  Coast  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico." — Bulletin  43,  Bur.  Am.  Ethu.,  p.  24  et  seq. 

2  There  is  also  a  river  of  this  name  in  Arkansas. 


486  SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 

of  Arkansas  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  aboriginal  sites  encountered  there,  and 
would  explain  the  unusually  great  deposits  of  artifacts  associated  with  the  dead. 

So  little  pottery  was  found  by  us  in  the  Red  river  region  in  Louisiana  that  it 
would  be  unwise  to  draw  conclusions. 

The  aboriginal  pottery  of  that  part  of  Arkansas  through  which  Red  river  runs 
(the  extreme  southwestern  portion)  is  interesting,  as  is,  in  fact,  that  of  much  of  the 
entire  State. 

The  Red  river  pottery  of  Arkansas  as  a  rule  is  tempered  with  fine  gravel  or 
sand,  or  with  small  bits  of  pottery,  though  kitchen  vessels  there  often  are  shell- 
tempered.  The  ware,  as  a  rule,  is  thin  and  carefully  modeled;  even  vessels 
designed  for  culinary  purposes  are  symmetrical,  as  a  general  rule. 

The  aboriginal  potters  along  Red  river  in  Arkansas  evolved  but  few  unusual 
shapes;  grotesque  forms  or  life-forms  (except  a  few  bowls  with  rude  birds'  heads 
projecting  vertically  and  conventional  tails  extending  outward)  were  not  attempted 
by  the  potters  of  the  region,  who  perhaps  considered  such  forms  incompatible  with 
their  ideas  of  art. 

Many  vessels  from  some  of  the  sites  of  the  Red  river,  Arkansas,  region  bear  a 
high  polish,  and  nearly  all  have  incised  or  trailed  decoration,  though  the  designs 
vary  but  little.  Circles,  often  series  of  concentric  circles  (probably  sun-symbols), 
form  a  frequently-recurring  design. 

Pigment  on  the  pottery  of  this  region  was  commonly  employed  in  one  manner 
only,  namely,  incised  decoration  filled  in  with  red  (oxide  of  iron)  or  with  white 
(kaolin);  and  this  was  done  very  freely.  A  few  vessels  have  scrolls  in  red  on  a 
background  of  the  ware,  and  some  of  the  pottery  has  a  uniform  coating  of  red, 
sometimes  in  connection  with  incised  decoration,  but  this  application  of  the  pigment 
lacked  care  or  skill,  and  vessels  thus  decorated  generally  present  a  shabby  appear 
ance.  Decoration  in  polychrome  was  very  exceptional. 

Incidentally  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  pottery  of  that  part  of  southwest 
ern  Arkansas  investigated  by  us  differs  in  many  respects  from  the  earthenware  of 
the  St.  Francis  Valley  and  from  the  sites  in  northeastern  Arkansas,  near  Missis 
sippi  river,  as  might  be  expected  to  be  the  case,  since  the  northernmore  territory 
lies  in  the  Middle  Mississippi  region,  while  the  more  southerly  region  probably  may 
be  included  in  the  Lower  Mississippi  province.1 

In  the  region  to  the  north  we  find  earthenware  modeled  with  grotesque  figures 
and  life-forms,  decoration  in  polychrome,  and  comparatively  infrequent  occurrence 
of  polished  surface  on  the  ware  and  of  line  decoration  of  merit.  Besides,  there  are 
in  northeastern  Arkansas  great  numbers  of  vessels  of  coarse,  thick  ware,  "lop 
sided"  (for  asymmetrical  is  too  mild  a  term  to  use  in  connection  with  them),  and 
practically  without  decoration.  All  this  is  materially  different  from  the  character 
of  the  ware  of  the  Red  river  region  of  the  State,  where  more  attention  generally 

1  C.  B.  Moore,  "Some  Aboriginal  Sites  on  Mississippi  River,"  p.  370  et  seq.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat. 
Sci.  ofPhila.,  Vol.  XIV. 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER.  487 

was  devoted  to  the  ceramic  art — even  some  cooking  vessels  there  showing  careful 
modeling  and  profuse  decoration,  as  will  be  seen  later  in  this  report. 

A  really  remarkable  feature — indeed  we  may  call  it  a  unique  one — in  connec 
tion  with  some  of  the  mounds  of  the  Red  river,  Arkansas,  region,  is  the  great 
depth  to  which  aboriginal  grave-pits  were  carried,  one  reaching  a  maximum  of 
15.5  feet.  Burials  are  often  found  elsewhere  at  considerable  depths  in  mounds, 
but  in  these  cases  the  mounds  have  been  built  up  above  them,  and  when  deep 
graves  are  found  in  dwelling-sites  much  of  the  depth  is  due  to  the  accretion  of 
material  above  the  original  surface  of  the  grave.  But  in  this  southwestern  Arkan 
sas  region  grave-pits  of  great  depth  were  dug  (as  for  instance  in  the  remarkable 
mound  on  the  Haley  Place),  and  undoubtedly  with  aboriginal  appliances,  since  not  in 
a  single  site  in  this  section  was  any  object  found  indicating  contact  with  white  people. 

In  our  season's  work  along  Red  river  thirteen  skulls  and  some  other  skeletal 
remains  were  found  in  a  condition  to  preserve — some  in  Louisiana,  some  in  Arkan 
sas.  These  skeletal  remains  have  been  sent  as  a  gift  to  the  United  States  National 
Museum,  and  Dr.  Ales  Hrdlicka,  in  charge  of  the  Division  of  Physical  Anthropology 
of  the  Museum,  kindly  has  prepared  a  paper  on  the  most  interesting  of  these 
remains,  which  will  be  found  at  the  close  of  this  report. 

All  important  objects  found  in  our  season's  work  are  displayed  at  the  Academy 
of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia. 

Much  of  the  pottery  found  was  badly  broken,  but  the  more  interesting  pieces 
have  been  cemented  together,  sometimes  with  slight  restoration.  When  such  resto 
ration  has  been  made,  however,  it  has  been  done  with  a  material  differing  in  shade 
from  that  of  the  ware,  so  that  no  confusion  as  to  original  parts  may  arise. 

All  measurements  given  in  this  report  are  approximate,  and  all  reductions  in 
size  in  the  illustrations  are  linear. 

Dr.  M.  G.  Miller  this  season,  as  in  all  our  previous  archaeological  investigations, 
accompanied  the  expedition  as  anatomist  and  has  lent  assistance  in  putting  this 
report  through  the  press,  as  he  has  done  in  the  case  of  all  our  previous  reports. 

Mr.  S.  G.  Weir,  as  assistant,  and  Capt.  J.  S.  Raybon,  commander  of  our 
steamer,  aided  the  expedition  in  various  ways. 

The  thanks  of  the  Academy  are  tendered  Prof.  F.  A.  Lucas  for  identification 
of  bones  of  lower  animals;  Dr.  H.  A.  Pilsbry  and  Mr.  E.  G.  Vanatta  for  deter 
mination  of  shells;  Mr.  F.  J.  Keeley  for  identification1  of  minerals  and  of  rocks; 
Dr.  H.  F.  Keller  for  chemical  determinations;  Miss  H.  N.  Wardle  for  suggestions, 
and  aid  with  the  index;  and  Mr.  F.  W.  Hodge  for  literary  revision  of  the  report. 

The  Academy  also  wishes  to  express  its  warmest  thanks  to  owners  of  prop 
erties  along  Red  river  who,  in  the  most  courteous  way,  placed  them  at  the  disposal 
of  the  Academy  for  investigation,  and  who  otherwise  rendered  the  expedition  every 
assistance  that  lay  in  their  power. 

1  As  sections  from  the  specimens  could  not  be  furnished,  Mr.  Keeley  was  limited  to  the  surface 
appearance  for  his  determinations. 


488  SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON   RED    RIVER. 

SITES    INVESTIGATED. 

(In  order1  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  upward.) 

Keller  Place,  Pointe  Coupee  Parish,2  Louisiana. 

Near  mouth  of  L'Eau  Noire  Bayou,  Avoyelles  Parish,  La. 

Lower  mound  on  Saline  Point,  Avoyelles  Parish,  La. 

Upper  mound  on  Saline  Point,  Avoyelles  Parish,  La. 

Near  Norman  Landing,  Avoyelles  Parish,  La. 

Johnson  Place,  Avoyelles  Parish,  La. 

Mayer  Place,  Avoyelles  Parish,  La. 

Moncla,  Avoyelles  Parish,  La. 

Laborde  Place,  Avoyelles  Parish,  La. 

Rodriguez  Place,  Rapides  Parish,  La. 

Lacroix  Place,  Rapides  Parish,  La. 

Near  Colfax,  Grant  Parish,  La. 

Near  Boggy  Bayou,  Grant  Parish,  La. 

Dunn  Place,  Grant  Parish,  La. 

Near  Briar  Bend  Landing,  Red  River  Parish,  La. 

Gahagan,  Red  River  Parish,  La. 

Near  Taylortown,  Bossier  Parish,  La. 

Sunny  Point,  Bossier  Parish,  La. 

Near  Pickett  Landing,  Caddo  Parish,  La. 

Cedar  Bluff  Plantation,  Caddo  Parish,  La. 

Thompson  Place,  Caddo  Parish,  La. 

Near  Byram  Ferry,  Bossier  Parish,  La. 

Near  Hightower  Landing,  Lafayette  County,  Arkansas. 

Near  Diggs  Bluff  Landing,  Miller  County,  Ark. 

Near  Sulphur  River,  Miller  County,  Ark. 

Haley  Place,  Miller  County,  Ark. 

Near  Red  Lake,  Lafayette  County,  Ark. 

Williams  Place,  Lafayette  County,  Ark. 

Egypt  Place,  Lafayette  County,  Ark. 

Battle  Place,  Lafayette  County,  Ark. 

McClure  Place,  Miller  County,  Ark. 

Haynes  Place,  Lafayette  County,  Ark. 

Friday  Place,  Lafayette  County,  Ark. 

Moore  Place,  Lafayette  County,  Ark. 

Foster  Place,  Lafayette  County,  Ark. 

1  Although  the  sites  are  given  in  order  going  up-river,  they  were  not  all  investigated  in  this 
order,  some  having  been  visited  as  we  ascended  the  river  when  the  water  happened  to  be  low,  while 
others  were  dug  into  on  our  way  down  when  the  stream  was  in  flood. 

2  That  division  of  the  commonwealth  known  as  "county"  in  all  other  states  of  the  Union  is  called 
"  parish"  in  Louisiana. 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER.  489 

Near  Dooley  Ferry,  Hempstead  County,  Ark. 
Crenshaw  Place,  Miller  County,  Ark. 
Daniels  Place,  Hempstead  County,  Ark. 
Jones  Place,  Hempstead  County,  Ark. 
Near  Jones  Place,  Hempstead  County,  Ark. 
Moore  Place,  Miller  County,  Ark. 
Summerhill  Place,  Bowie  County,  Texas. 
Moores  Place,  Bowie  County,  Texas. 
Sanders  Place,  Bowie  County,  Texas. 

MOUND  ON  TIIF.  KELLER  PLACE,  POINTE  COUPEE  PAKISH,  LOUISIANA. 

The  Keller  Place,  on  Old  river  (see  map),  is  the  property  of  Mr.  George 
Keller,  of  New  Orleans. 

About  one-half  mile  in  a  southeasterly  direction  from  Keller  Place  Landing, 
in  a  field  long  under  cultivation,  is  a  mound  9  feet  8  inches  in  height  and  109  feet 
by  80  feet  in  basal  diameters,  the  summit-plateau  being  43  feet  by  36  feet.  The 
mound  probably  had  been  oblong  atone  time,  and  fairly  symmetrical,  but  trampling 
of  cattle,  which  we  were  informed  sometimes  herded  there,  and  wash  of  rain,  no 
doubt  have  contributed  to  give  the  mound  its  present  somewhat  irregular  appearance. 

There  was  evidence  on  the  summit-plateau  of  some  digging  previous  to  our 
coming,  which,  however,  seemed  to  have  been  desultory  in  character. 

Trial-holes  in  the  summit-plateau  almost  at  once  came  upon  burials.  Two 
and  one-half  davs,  with  eight  men  to  dig,  were  devoted  to  a  partial  investigation 
of  the  mound,  which  proved  more  arduous  than  is  usually  the  case  with  similar 
mounds,  owing  to  the  heat  and  drought  which  had  made  so  hard  the  clayey 
material  of  which  the  mound  was  composed  that  the  pick  and  grubbing-hoe  wrere 
constantly  called  into  requisition. 

As  it  seemed  probable  that  this  mound  had  been  a  domiciliary  one,  and  that 
burials  were  superficial  and  that  graves  had  been  dug  only  from  the  summit-plateau 
or  from  it  and  its  immediate  neighborhood,  diggers  were  placed  around  the  slope 
10  feet  down  from  the  plateau,  and  much  of  that  part  of  the  slope  included  was 
dug  through  at  a  depth  of  from  "2  to  3  feet.  Also  somewhat  more  than  one-third 
of  the  plateau  was  dug  and  picked  away  to  a  depth  greater  than  3  feet,  and  deeper 
when  graves  required  it. 

Burials  were  numerous,  and  nearly  all  encountered  in  the  course  of  the  digging 
we  have  described  seemingly  had  been  put  down  from  the  surface,  though  the  pits 
could  not  be  traced  to  the  present  level  of  the  plateau,  owTing  to  the  presence  of  a 
superficial  layer  of  earth  about  one  foot  in  thickness,  which  probably  had  been 
trampled  by  cattle  above  and  mingled  by  roots  below  until  all  outlines  of  pits  had 
disappeared  from  it. 

Up  to  the  under  surface  of  this  layer,  however,  most  of  the  grave-pits  easily 

62  JOURX.  A.X.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


490  SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 

were  traceable,  though  several  of  the  deeper  graves  (one  52  inches  in  depth) 
seemed  for  part  of  their  depth  to  be  beneath  unbroken  strata. 

In  order  to  determine  the  nature  of  the  mound,  therefore,  an  excavation  5 
feet  by  9  feet,  approximately,  was  sunk  from  the  summit-plateau  to  a  depth  of  9 
feet,  when  undisturbed  soil  of  a  sandy  character  was  reached. 

In  this  excavation  eleven  burials  were  encountered,  the  deepest  8  feet  below 
the  surface;  most  of  them  were  plainly  in  graves,  none  of  which  reached  the  sur 
face,  but  were  covered  at  different  depths  from  the  surface  by  unbroken  layers. 

Presumably  this  mound  had  been  domiciliary  in  character,  but  occupied  at 
different  levels,  from  which  burials  were  put  down. 

Fire-places  were  abundant  throughout. 

In  all,  fifty-seven  burials  were  noted,  omitting  from  the  count,  however,  many 
scattered  bones,  mainly  fragmentary. 

Burials  were  as  follows: 

Extended  on  the  back,  9 

Closely  Hexed  on  the  right  side,  6 

Closely  flexed  on  the  left  side,  3 

Partly  flexed  on  the  right  side,  6 

Partly  flexed  on  the  left  side,  5 

Extended  on  the  back  to  the  knees,  the  legs  flexed  against  the  thighs,  1 

Single  skulls,  2 

Disturbances,  aboriginal  and  recent,   7 

Child,  1 

Bunched  burials,  17 

Of  the  thirty-one  burials  of  individual  skeletons,  the  heads  of  which  were  in 
various  directions,  twenty-nine  were  of  adults;  one,  of  an  adolescent;  and  one,  of 
a  child.  The  comparative  absence  of  children's  skeletons,  which  are  found  so 
numerously  in  some  aboriginal  places  of  burial,  can  be  accounted  for,  perhaps, 
by  disappearance  through  decay,  the  condition  of  the  bones  from  this  mound  being 
such  that  no  skulls  and  few  other  bones  approached  a  condition  to  enable  preserva 
tion.  Curiously  enough,  it  may  be  noted  parenthetically,  some  of  the  bones  from 
the  lower  part  of  the  mound  were  in  a  less  advanced  state  of  decay  than  were 
many  from  the  upper  part. 

The  seventeen  bunched  burials  had  with  them  skulls  as  follows: 

With  one  skull,  3 

With  two  skulls,  7 

With  three  skulls,  1 

With  five  skulls,  1 

With  seven  skulls,  1 

With  eight  skulls,  2 

With  twenty-eight  skulls,  1 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER.  491 

A  bunched  burial  extending  under  the  base  of  the  mound  had  one  skull,  so  far 
as  investigated. 

No  skulls  or  other  bones  having  belonged  to  children  were  noted  among  the 
bunched  burials,  probably  owing  to  the  crushed  condition  of  the  bunches  and  to 
the  state  of  decay  already  described. 

Burial  No.  30,  a  bunched  burial  with  twenty-eight  skulls,  extended  for  a  con 
siderable  distance  into  the  mound  and  lay  in  a  pit  about  3  feet  in  depth  and  an 
equal  distance  in  width.  At  its  maximum  (it  tapered  considerably  toward  the 
extremities)  the  burial  consisted  of  skulls  and  various  other  bones  (the  long-bones 
placed  parallel  longitudinally)  to  a  depth  of  1.5  foot  along  the  bottom  of  the  trench. 
In  the  earth  above  this  mass  numerous  single  bones  were  scattered  in  all  directions. 

It  has  seldom  been  our  fortune  to  investigate  a  mound  in  which  remains  of 
the  dead  were  accompanied  by  so  few  artifacts. 

Burial  No.  1,  a  bunched  burial,  had  an  interesting  little  arrowhead  of  flint,  of 
most  unusual  shape  (Fig.  1),  unfortunately  with  a  part  missing. 

Burial  No.  14,  which  lay  closely  flexed  on  the  right  side,  had  a 
A  biconcave,  discoidal  stone  of  sandstone,  2.3  inches  in  diameter. 

^^»  Burial  No.  18,  a  skull,  perhaps  all  that  was  left  of  a  disturbance, 

had  on  one  side  two  flint  pebbles  and  on  the  other  side  a  spherical 
^k        pebble  about   the    she  of  a   child's  fist — perhaps  a  hammer-stone, 
<^^&      though  no  abrasions  are  present  upon  it. 

Burial  No.  30,  the  large  bunched  burial  already  described,  had 
Flhead  o^fHnt      a  mass  of  red  oxide  of  iron,  doubtless  pigment. 

LMeFuH»"£e;  Burial  No.  41,  a  skeleton  partly  flexed  on  the  right  side,  had  at 

the  neck  a  tooth  of  an  alligator.  No  midden  refuse  lay  near  this 
burial  to  account  for  the  presence  of  the  tooth  in  a  way  other  than  its  former  use 
as  an  ornament.  The  proximal  part  of  the  tooth,  in  which  a  perforation  for  sus 
pension  would  be,  is  absent  through  decay. 

Apart  from  human  remains  there  came  from  the  mound :  four  barbed  arrow 
heads  of  flint,  of  medium  size,  found  together;  two  diminutive  arrowheads,  also 
barbed,  lying  apart;  two  flat  pebbles  and  various  scattered  fragments  of  earthen 
ware.  These  sherds,  found  singly,  and  presumably  introduced  by  accident  in  the 
making  of  the  mound,  were,  as  a  rule,  of  fair  quality,  hard,  and  tempered  with 
small  fragments  of  pottery.  None  showed  any  trace  of  color  and  nearly  all  were 
without  decoration  of  any  kind.  One  small  fragment  of  excellent  ware,  however, 
showed  more  ambitious  effort  than  did  the  rest,  the  margin  of  the  vessel  to  which 
it  belonged  having  been  decorated  with  small,  angular  projections  bearing  short, 
trailed  lines. 

Careful  inspection  and  a  small  amount  of  digging  to  test  the  composition 
of  the  soil  failed  to  disclose  any  sign  of  an  aboriginal  cemetery  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  mound. 


492  SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 

MOUNDS   NEAR   THE    MOUTH    OF    L'EAU    NOIRE    BAYOU,    AvOYELLES    PARISH,    LA. 

About  one  mile  westerly  from  the  mouth  of  L'Eau  Noire  Bayou,  which  is 
now  crossed  by  the  levee,  in  woods,  is  a  mound  mainly  on  property  of  Mr.  C.  P. 
Voisel.  of  Marksville,  La.,  but  in  part  on  land  belonging  to  Mr.  William  T.  Guillot, 
living  nearby.  These  gentlemen  joined  in  cordial  consent  to  our  investigation. 

The  mound,  about  square,  the  sides  facing  the  cardinal  points  of  the  compass, 
has  a  basal  diameter  of  about  165  feet;  that  of  the  summit-plateau  is  82  feet. 

The  height  of  the  mound,  determined  from  the  southern  side,  where  the  ground 
is  level,  is  8  feet.  The  northern  side  is  on  the  crest  of  sloping  ground  which  gives 
the  mound  an  appearance  of  added  height. 

Trial-holes  almost  at  once  came  upon  many  burials.  Continued  investigation 
indicated  that  much  of  the  summit-plateau  centrally  had  been  used  for  burial  to  a 
considerable  extent  to  about  3  feet  below  the  surface.  The  soil  contained  quanti 
ties  of  scattered  human  bones,  whole  and  fragmentary,  while  burials,  and  parts  of 
burials,  left  where  other  interments  had  cut  through,  were  numerous.  In  fact  the 
area  in  question  to  the  depth  we  have  named,  seemed  to  have  been  dug  and  redug 
in  the  making  of  graves  until  almost  all  trace  of  individual  pits  had  been  obliterated. 
The  soil  was  much  darker  in  this  area  than  it  was  found  to  be  superficially  in  that 
part  of  the  plateau  that  bordered  its  margin,  or  than  was  the  light-colored  alluvial 
material  that  underlay  the  superficial  3  feet  of  the  plateau. 

A  very  limited  number  of  burials  were  found  in  the  outer  parts  of  the  plateau, 
but  it  was  evident  that  this  space  had  not  been  used  for  burial  purposes  to 
any  extent. 

In  order  to  ascertain  the  nature  of  the  mound,  an  excavation  6  feet  by  8  feet 
and  8  feet  in  depth  was  made  centrally  in  the  plateau,  proving,  as  at  the  Keller 
Place,  to  be  a  somewhat  difficult  task,  as  the  lower  5  feet  of  the  mound  could  be 
removed  only  with  the  aid  of  a  pick. 

In  the  upper  3  feet  of  this  excavation  burials  were  numerous,  as  might  have 
been  expected  from  the  results  obtained  by  the  trial-holes.  There  were  found  also, 
however,  three  burials,  each  about  4  feet  5  inches  from  the  surface,  all  beneath  an 
unbroken  layer  which  commenced  about  3.5  feet  down.  One  of  these  burials  lay 
in  a  small  but  clearly  distinguishable  pit  which  extended  down  about  one  foot 
below  the  bottom  of  the  stratum  in  question. 

Still  another  burial  was  encountered  5  feet  8  inches  from  the  surface.  Below 
this  depth  no  bones  were  met. 

It  does  not  seem  likely  that  this  mound  was  constructed  for  burial  purposes. 
It  is  on  land  subject  to  overflow,  and  one  of  the  owners  of  the  mound  informed  us 
that  he  had  seen  the  water  almost  reach  the  level  of  the  summit-plateau.  Presuma 
bly  a  domiciliary  mound  of  insufficient  height  was  occupied  for  a  time  and  buried  in 
supsrficially  to  a  limited  extent,  and  was  then  increased  in  height,  and  graves  were 
dug  from  the  surface,  as  was  sometimes  done  in  the  case  of  domiciliary  mounds. 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER.  493 

The  condition  of  the  bones  in  this  mound  was  such  that  but  few  could  have 
been  saved  even  under  favorable  circumstances.  As  it  was.  all  bones  lying  in  the 
dry  part  of  the  mound  were  subject  to  breakage  on  removal.  Nevertheless,  two 
crania,  one  without  the  lower  jaw,  were  saved  in  good  condition. 

Dr.  Ales  Hrdlicka  refers  to  these  skulls  in  connection  with  his  description  of 
the  crania  from  the  remarkable  mound  on  the  Haley  Place,  Arkansas,  which  is 
given  at  the  close  of  this  report. 

Thirty-nine  burials  were  noted  by  us  in  this  mound,  no  account  having  been 
taken  of  the  great  quantity  of  scattered  bones  to  which  reference  has  been  made, 
or  of  a  few  burials  that  were  not  entirely  removed  from  the  hard  material  in  which 
they  lay.  Presumably  but  a  small  proportion  of  the  burials  in  the  mound  came 
under  our  observation. 

The  burials  recovered  by  us  were  as  follows : 

Adults  extended1  on  the  back,  18 2 

Children,  6 

Aboriginal  disturbances,   5 

Bunched  burials,  10 

Of  the  bunched  burials,  one  had  a  single  skull ;  one  had  two  skulls;  four  had 
five  skulls  ;  one,  six  skulls  ;  one,  seven  skulls ;  one,  eight  skulls  ;  one,  eleven  skulls. 

One  bunched  burial  with  five  skulls  included  one  of  a  child ;  and  two  bunched 
burials,  one  with  five  skulls  and  one  with  six  skulls,  had  each  two  crania  belonging 
to  children. 

If  the  aborigines  who  dwelt  on  and  buried  in  this  mound  habitually  placed 
tributes  with  the  dead,  most  of  the  mortuary  offerings  must  have  been  of  a  perish 
able  character. 

Burial  No.  2,  that  of  a  child,  had  at  the  skull  what  remained  of  a  mussel-shell ; 
and  a  large  mussel-shell,  broken  when  found,  was  with  burial  No.  6,  a  bunched 
burial. 

Burial  No.  9,  an  extended  skeleton,  had  single  mussel-shells  in  fragments  at 
the  right  of  the  skull  and  at  the  right  wrist.  As  mussel-shells  (Unio)  were  not 
encountered  apart  from  burials  in  this  mound,  it  is  likely  their  placing  with  the 
dead  was  intentional. 

Burial  No.  14,  a  skeleton  at  full  length,  had  at  the  left  side  of  the  skull  an 
earthenware  vessel,  badly  broken  and  with  parts  of  the  rim  missing.  This  vessel, 
a  bottle  of  rather  unusual  shape  (Fig.  2),  has  an  incised  design  shown  in  the  illus 
tration.  There  has  been  some  restoration  of  the  neck  of  the  vessel,  which  the 
presence  of  a  part  of  the  neck  with  rim  fully  justifies.  The  ware  of  this  bottle  is 
gray,  and  apparently  has  undergone  imperfect  firing,  which  seems  to  be  character 
istic  of  much  of  the  ware  of  the  lower  part  of  Red  river  in  Louisiana. 

1  One  had  the  left  ankle  crossing  the  right  one. 

"Some  skeletons,  badly  decayed,  may  have  belonged  to  adolescents. 


494 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


Burial  No.  15,  extended  on  the  back,  had  a  small  group  of  pebbles  at  each 
ankle,  doubtless  having  belonged  to  rattles. 

Burial  No.  31,  a  full-length  skeleton,  had  a  mass  of  red  oxide  of  iron,  prepared 
for  use  as  pigment,  beneath  the  right  shoulder. 

Burial  No.  37  had  a  badly  broken  vessel  over  the  right  humerus. 


FIG.  2. — Vessel  No.  1.     L'Eau  Noire  Bayou,  La.     (Height  8.8  inches.) 

No  other  burials  at  this  place  were  found  with  artifacts  in  association. 

Apart  from  human  remains,  though  no  doubt  with  them  at  one  time,  were 
found  separately:  a  pebble  of  attenuated  pear-shape,  2  inches  in  length,  grooved  at 
one  end  for  suspension ;  and  a  barbed  arrowhead  of  Hint. 

Not  immediately  with  bones,  but  near  many  scattered  bone  fragments,  lay 
fragments  of  parts  of  several  vessels.  One  of  these,  of  which  about  two-thirds  were 
present,  had  been  a  large  bottle  of  soft,  gray  ware.  The  decoration,  faintly  incised, 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  495 

consists  of  four  similar  designs,  each  separated  by  a  vertical  line  in  a  blank  field. 
Each  design  is  made  up  of  incised  lines  forming  a  cross  within  a  circle,  which  circle 
is  surrounded  by  another  one,  concentric,  having  radiating  from  its  circumference 
triangles  filled  in  with  reticulate  lines,  save  in  one  instance  where  on  one  side 
space  was  wanting.  Similar  triangles  project  toward  the  circles  from  vertical 
lines  which  enclose  the  spaces,  and  there  are  also  similar  angles  with  apices  turned 
toward  the  neck  of  the  bottle,  having  as  bases  a  circle  surrounding  the  neck. 

Some  of  the  earthenware  from  this  mound  is  tempered  with  small  fragments 
of  pottery,  some  with  a  mixture  of  minute  pebbles  and  bits  of  broken  stone.  A 
few  sherds  showing  the  use  of  red  pigment  for  decoration  were  present  in  the  soil, 
one  fragment  having  additional  decoration  in  the  form  of  broad,  incised  lines. 

About  seventy-five  yards  in  a  northerly  direction  from  the  mound  just  des 
cribed,  on  property  belonging  to  Mr.  C.  P.  Voisel,  is  another  mound,  slightly  more 
than  10  feet  in  height.  Its  outline  is  somewhat  irregular,  but  presumably  at  one 
time  the  mound  was  square,  or  nearly  so,  as  basal  measurements  were  114  feet  by 
122  feet,  which  are  fairly  approximate  considering  the  difficulty  of  determining 
just  where  the  base  of  a  mound  begins. 

As  the  summit-plateau  of  this  mound  had  been  used  for  burials  in  recent  times, 
and  as  cutting  into  the  sides  of  the  mound  would  not  have  been  justifiable  in  an 
area  subject  to  overflow,  no  investigation  of  this  mound  was  attempted. 

A  short  distance  from  these  two  mounds  are  the  remnants  of  a  low,  fiat 
mound,  most  of  which  had  been  removed  in  the  construction  of  the  levee.  It  is 
currently  reported  that  quantities  of  human  bones  and  much  fragmentary  pottery 
were  removed  with  the  material  throughout  the  work,  and,  in  point  of  fact,  inspec 
tion  showed  numerous  bits  of  human  bones,  and  many  fragments  of  pottery,  most 
of  which,  however,  were  without  decoration. 

LOWER  MOUND  ON  SALINE  POINT,  AVOYELLES  PARISH,  LA. 

On  Saline  Point,  in  full  view  from  the  residence  of  Mr.  Landry  Norman,  on 
whose  property  it  is  situated,  is  a  mound  in  sight  from  the  river  bank.  This  mound, 
of  circular  basal  outline,  with  a  diameter  of  73  feet,  is  about  11  feet  in  height. 

The  mound  was  deeply  furrowed  by  wash  of  rain,  and  in  addition  had  been 
dug  into  centrally  to  a  considerable  extent  previous  to  our  coming. 

As  the  property  of  Mr.  Norman  is  subject  to  overflow  in  times  of  unusally  high 
water,  when  the  mound  becomes  a  place  of  refuge,  its  destruction  was  not  considered. 

In  material  thrown  out  by  previous  digging  we  found  a  small  earthenware 
pipe  of  the  "monitor"  class,  having  one  end  missing. 

Eight  trial-holes  in  the  upper  part  of  the  mound  came  at  once  upon  raw,  yel 
low  clay,  dried  hard  and  containing  no  indication  of  previous  burials  therein.  It 
seemed  likely  that  the  superficial  parts  of  the  mound,  probably  loosened  by  tramp- 


496  SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 

ling  of  cattle,  had  been  washed  away  by  rain  and  that  burials  near  the  surface  went 
at  the  same  time. 

A  more  thorough  examination  of  this  mound,  while  desirable,  is,  under  the 
circumstances,  out  of  the  question. 

UPPER  MOUND  ON  SALINE  POINT,  AVOYELLES  PARISH,  LA. 

The  property  of  Mr.  L.  M.  Clavrie  is  on  Saline  Point,  bordering  the  river,  but 
somewhat  farther  up  than  Mr.  Norman's  place. 

About  300  yards  back  of  Mr.  Clavrie' s  residence  is  a  mound  in  woods,  which 
has  been  considerably  worn  and  washed.  Its  original  shape  is  not  apparent ;  pos 
sibly  at  one  time  it  was  square  or  nearly  so.  Its  present  basal  diameter  is  88  feet, 
about  one-third  of  which  is  the  diameter  of  the  summit-plateau.  The  height  of  the 
mound  is  slightly  more  than  10  feet. 

Many  trial-holes  over  the  surface  of  this  mound  showed  that  many  burials  had 
been  made  in  much  of  the  summit-plateau  and,  in  places,  partway  down  the  slope. 
The  deepest  burial  discovered  was  at  a  depth  of  3.5  feet  from  the  surface. 

In  the  course  of  about  two  days'  work  seventeen  burials  were  come  upon, 
as  follows  : 

Burial  No.  1.  This  burial,  which  was  just  below  the  surface,  consisted  of  a 
number  of  bones  bunched  together,  including  a  single  skull. 

Burial  No.  2,  also  superficial,  was  a  bunched  burial,  having  nine  skulls  in 
connection  with  it.  Near  one  of  the  skulls  were  two  vessels,  one  in  fragments, 
and  two  flint  pebbles  together  with  a  much-decayed  canine  tooth  of  a  large  carniv 
ore,  without  perforation  or  groove  for  suspension.  With  other  parts  of  this 
burial  were  two  small  vessels  together,  and  near  these  a  diminutive  pot.  Probably 
a  child's  remains  had  been  included  with  this  bunched  burial,  but  if  so,  its  bones 
had  decayed  away. 

Burial  No.  3.  This  burial  was  made  up  of  more  than  one  individual,  burnt  to 
small  fragments.  Several  bits  of  pottery  lay  with  the  calcined  remains.  Du  Pratz : 
says  that  no  nation  of  Louisiana  practised  cremation.  It  is  very  unlikely  that  the 
customs  of  the  Louisiana  Indians  had  changed  in  Du  Pratz's  time.  This  writer, 
careful  as  a  rule,  was  hardly  in  a  position  to  formulate  a  general  negative  in  con 
nection  with  so  large  a  territory. 

Burial  No.  4.  This  burial,  another  cremation,  also  included  remains  of  two  or 
more  skeletons,  as  parts  of  two  different  skulls  were  determined  in  it. 

Burial  No.  5.  A  bunched  burial  including  two  skulls,  one  of  which  had  been 
deposited  upon  some  fragments  of  pottery  placed  together. 

Burial  No.  6.  Cremated  remains  of  several  individuals.  This  burial  differed 
in  one  respect  from  other  cremations  present  in  the  mound,  for  while  the  others 
had  been  carefully  gathered  and  deposited  without  any  other  material  showing 

1  "Histoire  de  la  Louisiane,"  Vol.  Ill,  p.  24,  Paris,  1758. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  497 

trace  of  fire,  there  were  with  this  one  masses  of  burnt  clay,  some  larger  than  a 
man's  fist,  and  also  wasps'  nests  of  clay  hardened  by  fire,  including  two  nests  on 
the  bases  of  which  are  distinct  imprints  of  matting.  It  is  probable  that  these 
wasps'  nests  originally  had  been  on  a  wigwam  burnt  when  the  remains  were 
cremated. 

In  the  middle  of  this  deposit  of  cremated  bones  was  a  vessel  into  which  material 
from  the  deposit  had  fallen. 

Burial  No.  7.      A  bunched  burial  with  one  skull. 

Burial  No.  8  consisted  of  the  skull  of  a  child,  in  fragments  (as  were  all  skulls 
recovered  by  us  from  this  mound),  also  two  femurs  and  one  tibia,  of  adult  growth. 
With  this  curious  mixture  were  a  pot  and  part  of  another  vessel;  also  a  quantity 
of  pigment — powdered  red  oxide  of  iron. 

Burial  No.  9  was  a  bunched  burial  of  bones  so  badly  decayed  that  but  little 
about  them  could  be  determined. 

Burial  No.  10,  a  bunched  burial  with  which  no  skull  was  noted. 

Burial  No.  11,  a  skeleton  of  an  adult,  lying  partly  flexed  on  the  right  side. 

Burial  No.  12.     A  bunched  burial  with  two  skulls. 

Burial  No.  13,  a  bunched  burial  with  which  were  seven  skulls.  With  this 
burial  were  numerous  fragments  of  a  vessel,  widely  scattered  as  if  broken  cere 
monially  and  thrown  with  the  remains. 

Burial  No.  14,  a  few  scattered  fragments  of  calcined  bone,  perhaps  the  result 
of  aboriginal  disturbance.  With  this  burial,  however,  was  a  bowl  containing  a 
circular  pebble,  perhaps  a  smoothing  stone. 

Burial  No.  15.  This  burial  consisted  of  a  small  deposit  of  cremated  remains 
with  which  were  a  few  fragments  of  unburnt  bones. 

Burial  No.  16  lay  at  a  depth  of  3.5  feet,  and  consisted  of  only  traces  of  decaying 
bones  with  which  were  two  vessels  of  earthenware,  both  badly  broken. 

Burial  No.  17.  A  deposit  of  finely-burnt  fragments,  presumably  of  a  single 
skeleton,  perhaps  that  of  a  child.  With  this  deposit  were  three  vessels, — a  pot 
and  two  bowls. 

Fourteen  vessels,  some  very  badly  broken,  came  from  this  mound,  all  but  one 
lying  in  association  with  burials.  These  vessels,  pots  and  bowls  (the  bottle  not 
being  represented)  bore  in  the  majority  of  cases  incised  decoration  of  an  unambitious 
kind.  None  was  decorated  with  pigment,  though  sherds  on  which  was  a  uniform 
coloring  of  red  came  from  the  mound.  The  tempering  of  some  of  the  vessels  con 
sisted  of  small  fragments  of  stone.  We  shall  now  describe  in  detail  certain  vessels 
from  this  mound. 

Vessel  No.  2.  A  rude  pot,  of  very  inferior  ware,  having  on  part  of  its  surface 
a  crude  decoration  made  up  of  circles  and  diagonal  lines.  Height  4.75  inches. 

Vessel  No.  4  borders  on  the  wide-necked  bottle  in  form.  The  ware  is  soft, 
and  the  decoration,  having  in  the  main  the  scroll  as  a  motive,  is  scanty  and  poorly 
executed  (Fig.  3). 

63  JOURX.  A.  X.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


498 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


Vessel  No.  7.  A  pot  of  inferior,  yellow  ware,  having  incised  designs  four  times 
shown,  each  somewhat  resembling  the  leg-symbol  found  farther  eastward  along  the 
Gulf  (Fig.  4).  This  vessel,  otherwise  uninteresting,  has  one  feature  worthy  of 

remark.  In  the  center  of  the  base  is  a 
hole  about  .25  inch  in  diameter,  which 
is  not  an  accidental  break  or  made  by 
vegetable  growth  in  the  mound,  but  a 
perforation  made  previous  to  the  firing 
of  the  pot,  as  is  shown  by  bulging  of 
the  ware  around  the  hole  in  the  in 
terior  of  the  vessel.  We  have  here  a 
ceremonial  vessel  with  a  perforation 
made  to  "  kill"  the  pot  in  order  to  free 
its  soul  to  accompany  that  of  its  owner 
to  the  spirit  land,  a  custom  practised 
chiefly  by  the  aborigines  of  Florida. 

FIG.  3.-Vessel  No.  4.     Saline  Point,  La.     (Height  3.1   inches.)  Vessel   No.  8.       A  diminutive  VaSC, 

half-fired,  bearing  rudely-incised  deco- 

__^  ^^^ta  B^^k.        ration  and  evidently  made  as  a  toy  for  a  child. 

Vessel  No.  9.  A  bowl  (Fig.  5)  of  fairly 
well-fired  ware,  though  the  surface  is  lacking 
in  smoothness.  The  decoration  of  the  vessel, 
a  scroll  combination,  presents  no  novelty  in 
the  way  of  design,  but  in  its  execution  the 
bowl  greatly  excels  the  pottery  of  Red  river, 
found  by  us,  south  of  Gahagan,  Louisiana, 
which  is  a  long  distance  farther  up. 

Incidentally  it  may  be  noted  that  the 
beautifully-decorated  earthenware  found  on 
Ouachita  river,  La.,  is  encountered  north  of 
the  town  of  Monroe,  which  is  about  on  a  line 
with  Shreveport  on  Red  river.  Shreveport 
is  about  forty  miles  by  land  above  Gahagan. 
Vessel  No.  11.  This  pot,  of  soft  yellow 
ware  (Fig.  6),  has  a  design  four  times  shown. 
This  design,  which  closely  resembles  one  found 
on  a  vessel  from  a  mound  on  the  Mayer  Place, 
to  be  described  shortly  in  this  report,  seems 
to  be  made  up  of  two  serpents  with  additions  or  possibly  of  long-necked  birds  having 
a  body  in  common.  We  are  inclined,  however,  to  the  belief  that  serpents  are 
intended  to  be  represented,  as  the  figures  resemble  those  on  a  vessel  1  from  Sun 
flower  river,  Miss.,  in  which  the  body  of  the  snake  is  isolated  and  without  addition. 


FIG.  4. — Vessel  No.  7.     Saline  Point,  La. 
(Height  4.5  inches.) 


i  "  Certain  Mounds  of  Arkansas  and  of  Mississippi,"  p.  587,  Fig.  4. 
Phila.,  Vol.  XIII. 


Jouni.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


499 


FIG.  5.— Vessel  No.  9.    Saline  Point,  La.    (Diam.  6  inches.) 


FIG.  6.— Vessel  No.  11.     Saline  Point,  La.     (About  full  size.) 


500 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


Vessel  No.  13.  A  very  rude,  scaphoid  vase,  parts  of  which  only  were  present 
in  the  mound.  Body  and  liat  base  are  covered  with  rude,  trailed  designs. 

Vessel  No.  14.  A  bowl  (Fig.  7)  of  half-fired  ware,  having  a  decoration  made 
up  of  four  designs  of  incised  and  punctate  markings,  each  somewhat  resembling 
an  arrowhead  in  shape. 

A  rude  knife  of  chert  was  found  apart  from  the  burials. 

If  an  aboriginal  cemetery  was  near  this  mound  its  discovery  would  be  difficult, 
as  the  territory  is  subject  to  overflow  and  in  places  is  covered  by  a  deposit  from 
the  river. 

At  this  place  we  were  given  by  Mr.  Louis  Neck,  whose  place  adjoins  that  of 
Mr.  Clavrie,  a  pendant  or  charm-stone,  of  hematite,  3.5  inches  in  length,  having 
the  shape  of  an  elongated  pear,  and  grooved  near  one  end  for  suspension.  This 


FIG.  7.— Vessel  No.  14.     Saline  Point,  La.     (Diam.  3.6  inches.) 

object,  Mr.  Neck  informed  us,  had  been  ploughed  up  on  a  property  belonging  to 
him,  near  the  town  of  Marksville,  Avoyelles  Parish,  about  eight  miles  distant. 

MOUNDS  NEAR  NORMAN  LANDING,  AVOYELLES  PARISH,  LA. 

About  three-quarters  of  a  mile  SE.  by  S.  from  Norman  Landing,  on  property 
of  Mr.  F.  Saucier,  living  in  the  nearby  settlement,  is  a  symmetrical  mound  with 
circular  base,  the  diameter  of  which  is  150  feet,  and  that  of  the  summit-plateau  20 
feet.  The  height,  determined  from  what  seemed  to  be  the  general  level,  measured 
slightly  less  than  20  feet,  though  when  the  mound  is  regarded  from  neighboring 
depressions  whence,  no  doubt,  material  for  its  building  was  taken,  the  height  seems 
considerably  greater. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER.  501 

A  number  of  trial-holes  showed  the  upper  parts  of  the  mound  to  be  of  a  material 
composed  largely  of  yellow  clay  and  having  no  admixture  of  organic  matter. 

The  shape  of  this  mound  indicates  that  perhaps  it  was  built  for  a  purpose 
other  than  a  domiciliary  one,  but  the  size  of  the  mound  precluded  an  investigation 
without  material  injury. 

In  a  field,  above  reach  of  the  river,  is  what  long  cultivation  has  left  of  a  small 
mound  containing  burials.  Investigation  showed  the  material  of  which  it  was 
composed  to  have  the  dark  shade  one  looks  for  where  organic  matter  is  mixed  with 
the  soil. 

About  one  foot  below  the  surface  remnants  of  a  human  skull  were  found,  and 
in  another  place  were  decaying  fragments  of  human  bones  and  a  human  incisor. 

The  height  of  this  remnant  of  a  mound,  which  was  about  200  yards  SSW.  from 
the  large  one,  was  4  feet;  its  present  diameter,  45  feet.  Evidently  the  superficial 
parts,  in  which  probably  most  of  the  burials  were,  had  been  plowed  away.  Mr. 
Saucier  informed  us  that  much  broken  pottery  had  been  uncovered  in  cultivating 
the  mound  in  time  gone  by. 

In  the  surrounding  field  some  digging  was  done  by  us  without  coming  on 
burials,  though  a  drill  of  flint  was  unearthed. 

In  the  opening  part  of  this  report  we  refer  to  Penicaut's  statement  that  the 
Tassenogoula,  or  "  Nation  of  the  Rocks,"  was,  at  the  time  of  his  visit,  six  leagues 
above  Saline  river,  on  the  banks  of  a  small  stream  at  the  base  of  a  chain  of  hills 
extending  north  and  south.  Hills  running  as  described  are  some  miles  farther  up 
Red  river,  but  at  this  place,  where,  by  the  way,  a  bayou  enters  the  river,  there  is 
high,  flat  land  running  back  in  a  southeasterly  direction. 

CEMETERY  ox  THE  JOHNSON  PLACE,  AVOYELLES  PARISH,  LA. 

The  Johnson  Place,  belonging  to  Mr.  Richard  J.  Johnson,  who  lives  upon  it, 
is  in  part  above  the  reach  of  high  water.  A  portion  of  this  high  ground  is  a  field 
two  acres  in  extent,  one-quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  river,  approximately.  This 
field  is  much  darker  as  to  color  of  soil  than  are  adjacent  fields,  though  pasture  land 
also  adjoining  it  is  said  to  consist  of  the  same  black  soil,  and  to  have  formed  part 
of  the  aboriginal  dwelling-site.  However,  as  the  field  was  covered  with  grass,  the 
fact  was  not  evident  on  inspection,  though  it  is  said  to  have  been  apparent  when 
the  pasture  land  was  under  cultivation,  some  time  ago. 

Over  the  cultivated  part  of  this  site  are  scattered  numbers  of  fragments  of 
pottery,  flint  chips,  and  other  debris. 

A  part  of  the  field,  slightly  higher  than  the  rest  and  about  100  feet  by  75  feet, 
roughly  speaking,  had  on  its  surface,  in  addition  to  the  other  debris,  almost  innu 
merable  fragments  of  mussel-shells,  while  bits  of  human  bones  and  even  parts  of 
skeletons  together  could  be  seen  there  at  the  time  of  our  visit. 

A  small  collection  of  arrowpoints,  some  neatly  serrated,  were  collected  by  us 
from  this  and  from  other  parts  of  the  field. 


502  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 

In  the  restricted  area  in  question  and  near  it,  fifteen  trial-holes  came  upon 
human  remains  in  seven  places,  two  of  which  only  were  worked  out,  it  being 
impossible,  under  any  circumstances,  to  obtain  an  accurate  idea  of  what  the  site 
had  been,  as  it  had  suffered  so  greatly  from  long  cultivation  and  from  wash  of  rain. 

The  black  soil  was  found  to  be  about  5  inches  in  depth,  when  undisturbed, 
yellow  clay  was  reached.  Burials  had  been  made  in  pits  extending  into  the  clay, 
the  distance  from  the  surface  at  which  they  were  found  probably  conveying  but 
little  idea  of  their  original  depth. 


FIG.  8. — Vessel  of  earthenware.    Johnson  Place,  La.     (Diam.  5.0  inches.) 

The  first  pit  investigated  was  about  10  feet  by  7  feet,  and  30  inches  deep.  It 
contained  five  skeletons, — four  of  adults,  one  of  an  adolescent, — all  extended  on 
the  back  and  all  heading  W.  by  S.,  or  rather  the  heads  of  all  had  been  directed  in 
that  way.  The  skull  of  one  burial  was  missing.  Three  of  these  skeletons  lay 
directly  on  the  bottom  of  the  grave,  near  together,  while  two  lay  almost  immedi 
ately  above  them. 

At  the  right  of  the  skull  of  one  of  the  adult  skeletons  was  a  pebble.  Also 
near  the  skull  was  a  bowl  in  fragments,  and  of  somewhat  better  ware  than  is  the 
average  from  this  region,  but  inferior  to  much  found  farther  up  Red  river.  This 
vessel  has  a  trailed  decoration,  as  shown  in  Fig.  8. 

There  was  also  in  this  pit  part  of  a  skeleton  in  order,  the  remainder  of  which 
had  been  disturbed  or  had  not  held  together  when  the  burial  was  transferred  from 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


503 


the  bone-house.  With  the  skull  of  this  burial  was  a  pebble,  and  at  the  neck  were 
three  beads,  each  about  one  inch  in  length,  made  from  sections  of  the  columella  of 
a  conch  (Fulgur}. 

The  remainder  of  the  pit  was  filled  with  a  great  quantity  of  bones  in  complete 
disorder,  including  fifty-one  skulls,  four  having  belonged  to  children.  With  these 
bones  were :  a  spherical,  shell  bead  about  one-half  inch  in  diameter ;  two  mussel- 
shells  together,  each  with  a  small  perforation  near  the  hinge ;  a  celt  of  quartzite, 
somewhat  less  than  2  inches  in  length. 

The  second  pit  was  10  feet  in  length.  One  end  was  5  feet  across;  the  other, 
which  was  somewhat  curved,  was  3  feet  6  inches.  The  depth  of  this  grave  was 
22  inches.  In  this  grave  were  four  skeletons  of  adults,  each  extended  on  the 
back,  having  the  heads  directed  WSW.  Two  of  these  skeletons  lay  on  the  bottom 
of  the  grave,  while  the  remaining  two  were  almost  immediately  above  them. 

One  of  the  skeletons  had,  near  the  skull,  together,  a  bit  of  flint,  and  two  celts 
of  quartzite,  each  a  trifle  less  than  2  inches  in  length. 

There  were  in  this  grave  also  three  parts  of  skeletons  and  a  great  quantity  of 
disconnected  bones,  including  thirty-seven  skulls  and  a  fragment  of  the  skull  of  an 
infant.  With  the  disconnected  bones  were  occasional  pebbles,  and  a  discoidal 
stone  2.5  inches  in  diameter,  rudely  made  from  a  stone  naturally  Hat. 

Four  crania  were  saved  from  this  place. 

MOUND   ON   THE    MAYER    PLACE,    AVOYELLES    PARISH,    LA. 

In  wroods  and  dense  underbrush  on  property  of  Mrs.  G.  L.  Mayer,  of  Marks- 
ville,  La.,  is  a  mound  about  one  mile  SW.  from  the  landing  on  the  adjacent  John- 


*&>«:''"3te7KS&^ 

FIG.  9.— Vessel  of  earthenware.     Decoration.     Mayer  Place,  La.     (Three-quarters  size.) 

son  Place.     The  mound  is  about  circular  in  outline  of  base,  is  40  feet  in  diameter 
and  2.5  feet  in  height,  measured  from  the  outside. 


504  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 

Eight  trial-holes  showed  the  mound  to  be  a  mixture  of  sand  and  clay.  There 
seemed  to  be  no  definite  base-line  marking  the  original  surface  of  the  ground, 
undisturbed  clay  lying  beneath  the  material  of  which  the  mound  was  composed, 
though  this  material  extended  down  considerably  deeper  than  was  indicated  by  the 
exterior  measurements  of  the  height  of  the  mound. 

No  pits  of  any  kind  were  noted,  nor  was  any  trace  of  human  bones  found, 
though  one  hole  at  a  depth  of  38  inches  came  upon  fragments  of  an  undecorated 
vessel,  and  a  boat-stone,  rudely  made  from  a  pebble,  having  a  concavity  at  the 
base  but  no  perforations. 

About  half  a  foot  below  these  objects  was  a  broken  vessel  of  very  soft,  porous, 
yellow  ware,  with  a  design  (Fig.  9)  twice  shown,  somewhat  resembling  one  described 
as  coming  from  the  upper  mound  on  Saline  Point  (page  498).  Presumably  a  ser 
pent  is  represented. 

In  another  hole,  about  3.5  feet  from  the  surface,  were  two  undecorated  vessels, 
badly  crushed. 

Presumably  burials  formerly  present  in  this  mound  had  disappeared  through 
decay. 

MOUND    AT    MONCLA,    AVOYELLES    PARISH,    LA. 

Moncla  is  a  settlement  on  the  bank  of  Red  river. 

In  view  from  the  water,  in  a  cultivated  field,  on  prairie  land  said  to  be  above 
the  reach  of  high  water,  is  a  mound  with  sides  too  steep  to  permit  the  use  of  the 
plow.  A  hole  in  the  summit,  dug  previous  to  our  visit,  showed  the  upper  part  of 
the  mound,  at  least,  to  be  composed  of  raw,  yellow  clay. 

The  mound,  circular  in  outline  of  base,  slightly  more  than  10  feet  in  height, 
has  a  diameter  of  80  feet.  The  summit-plateau,  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  was 
17  feet  in  diameter,  but  deep  furrows  in  the  slope  of  the  mound,  caused  by 
wash  of  rain,  indicated  that  the  plateau  had  been  of  greater  extent  in  the  past. 

There  is  no  history  of  any  discoveries  in  connection  with  this  mound,  nor  is 
any  debris  visible  on  the  fields  which  surround  it. 

The  owner  of  the  mound,  who  was  written  to,  and  later  visited,  by  us, 
required  more  time  to  reach  a  conclusion  as  to  our  investigation  than  the  expedition 
could  accord,  considering  the  unpromising  appearance  of  the  mound  and  the  char 
acter  of  the  region  in  which  it  is  situated. 

The  ridiculous  idea  that  treasure  has  been  buried  in  these  mounds  is  wide 
spread  and  sometimes  acts  as  a  deterrent  to  the  ignorant  when  permission  to  dig 
is  requested. 

MOUND  ON  THE  LABORDE  PLACE,  AVOYELLES  PARISH,  LA. 

About  five  miles  in  an  easterly  direction  from  the  town  of  Echo  is  the  plan 
tation  of  Mr.  Adolphe  Laborde,  who  resides  on  it.  This  place  is  some  distance  in 
from  the  river,  but  is  near  a  former  course  of  the  stream.  On  the  property  is  a 
mound  well  known  along  the  river  for  a  considerable  distance,  and  sometimes 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER.  505 

called  the  Island  mound,  not  because  it  is  actually  an  island,  but  for  the  reason  that 
it  forms  an  apex  to  some  elevated  ground  which  is  not  covered  in  periods  of  high  water. 
This  mound,  10  feet  6  inches  in  height,  circular  in  basal  outline,  has  a 
diameter  of  95  feet.  It  has  had  a  considerable  summit-plateau,  but  its  extent 
was  difficult  to  determine  owing  to  much  digging  in  it  in  recent  times,  which  had 
left  a  deposit  of  soil  on  its  surface,  and  to  the  fact  that  it  had  been  plowed. 

A  number  of  trial-holes  were  put  down  from  the  summit-plateau,  one  of  which 
was  18  feet  6  inches  by  14  feet.  Parts  of  this  hole  were  carried  to  a  depth  of 
4  feet  C  inches  and  6  feet  respectively,  and  a  smaller  hole  from  the  bottom  was 
extended  beyond  the  base  of  the  mound. 

Trial-holes  showed  that  the  superficial  part  of  the  summit-plateau  was  filled 
with  burials.  These  burials,  which  were  from  20  inches  to  somewhat  more  than 
4  feet  in  depth,  were  in  grave-pits,  as  sometimes  the  lower  parts  of  the  pits  could 
be  seen  cutting  through  layers  of  clay  which  differed  from  the  mixed  material  used 
in  filling  the  graves,  though  the  upper  few  feet  of  the  mound  had  been  so  thoroughly 
mingled  that  the  material  composing  it  resembled  that  found  to  have  been  used  in 
filling  the  pits.  No  doubt  the  pits  had  been  put  down  from  the  surface.  So  nearly 
as  could  be  determined  (for  sometimes  intersecting  graves  could  be  differentiated 
owing  to  their  bases  being  at  different  levels)  thirteen  graves  were  encountered, 
some  of  which,  however,  had  been  lessened  as  to  their  contents  by  other  graves 
which  had  been  put  down  through  parts  of  them. 

The  form  of  burial,  as  a  rule,  consisted  of  placing  layers  and  heaps  of  bones  in 
no  order  whatever,  though  in  several  instances  a  skeleton  had  been  interred  at  full 
length  on  the  back  and  quantities  of  bones  had  been  placed  in  the  grave  alongside 
of  and  on  top  of  it. 

Not  needlessly  to  occupy  space,  we  shall  confine  our  account  to  the  more 
interesting  burials. 

Burial  No.  1  consisted  of  the  skeleton  of  an  adult  extended  on  the  back,  in 
connection  with  bones  including  sixteen  skulls,  which,  like  all 
crania  found  at  this  place,  were  past  preservation.  Some  of 
the  bones  with  this  burial  showed  marks  of  fire,  the  only 
ones  so  treated  which  were  encountered  by  us  in  the  mound. 
At  the  upper  part  of  the  right  humerus  of  the  extended 
burial  was  an  undecorated  pipe  of  earthenware  (Fig.  10),  made 
without  extension  for  the  reception  of  the  stem.  Near  the 
outer  side  of  the  upper  part  of  the  left  humerus  was  a  bone 
implement  in  fragments. 

Burial  No.  2  was  made  up  of  scattered  bones,  including 
twelve  crania,  on  one  of  which  were  stains  of  copper.  Among 
these  bones  was  an  undecorated  bottle  of  ware  imperfectly 

FIG.  10.— Earthenware  pipe.  ,  ,     .          ,  .        .        ,  .  ,  ,.  ' 

Labonie  place,  La.  (Full     fired,  and  elsewhere  in  the  deposit,  together,  were  lour  pebbles 

and  a  fragment  of  flint. 
Burial    No.   3  was  without  a  complete    skeleton,  being    made  up  of  eleven 

64  JOURN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


506  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON    RED   RIVER. 

crania  and  a  complement  of  other  bones.  On  the  bottom  of  the  grave  was  red 
pigment. 

Burial  No.  4  was  a  skeleton  at  length  on  the  back  from  the  feet  to  the  pelvis, 
where  it  had  been  cut  away  by  another  grave.  A  mixture  of  bones,  having  four 
crania,  lay  with  this  part  of  a  burial. 

Burial  No.  7  was  the  skeleton  of  an  adult,  extended  on  the  back,  accompanied 
by  bones  including  twenty  crania.  Near  one  skull  was  a  small  arrowhead  of  flint, 
and  a  projectile  point  of  the  same  material  was  writh  other  bones,  as  was  a  small 
quantity  of  red  pigment  (hematite).  Lying  transversely  between  the  left  forearm 
and  the  body  was  one  of  the  most  gracefully  wrought  celts  it  has  been  our  fortune 
to  see,  the  cutting  edge,  the  body,  and  the  rounded  extremity  being  very  symmet 
rical.  The  material  is  quartzite;  the  length,  3  inches.  At  the  middle  of  the 
inner  side  of  the  left  tibia,  together,  wrere  sixteen  pebbles,  some  about  the  size  of 
the  end  of  one's  finger,  some  smaller. 

Burial  No.  8  had  twenty-eight  crania  lying  with  quantities  of  other  bones.  At 
the  verge  of  the  deposit,  somewhat  separated,  were  four  vessels  of  earthenware  and 
various  fragments  of  pottery.  Two  of  these  vessels  are  diminutive  pots  with  scanty 
line-decoration ;  one  is  a  bowl  of  about  one  quart  capacity,  having  an  attempt  at  a 
uniform  coating  of  red  on  the  outside  (which,  however,  took  effect  in  places  only), 
and  with  four  encircling,  parallel,  incised  lines  below  the  rim. 

The  fourth  vessel  is  a  small  bowl  (Fig.  11),  having  on  the  inside  a  fairly  good 


FIG.  11. — Vessel  No.  4.     Laborde  Place,  La.     (Diam.  4.5  inches.) 

coating  of  red  pigment.  On  the  outside,  however,  the  pigment  appears  irregularly 
at  places,  its  absence  in  part  being  due,  not  to  wear,  but  to  the  fact  that  the  pig 
ment  was  unskilfully  applied  and  failed  to  adhere.  This  bowl  bears  an  incised, 
scroll  decoration.  Incidentally  it  may  be  noted  that  in  the  lower  Mississippi 
region  (south  of  the  Arkansas  river)  incised  decoration  is  often  found  on  vessels  in 
connection  with  the  use  of  pigment.  On  the  other  hand,  in  the  middle  Mississippi 
region,  vessels  adorned  with  pigment  practically  never  bear  incised  decoration. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER.  507 

The  remaining  burials  from  this  mound,  less  noteworthy  than  those  described, 
offered  but  one  point  of  interest,  namely,  the  presence  of  glass  beads  with  one  of 
them,  which  lay  at  a  depth  of  2.5  feet.  Probably  all  the  burials  in  this  mound 
were  post-Columbian. 

An  examination  of  the  lower  parts  of  the  large  excavation  showed  no  pits. 
The  smaller  excavation  to  which  reference  has  been  made  came  upon  a  well-marked 
base-line  at  a  depth  of  about  the  height  of  the  mound  as  determined  from  the  outside. 

Southwest  of  the  mound  and  contiguous  to  it  is  a  field  of  considerable  extent, 
the  soil  of  which  is  dark  and  is  literally  covered  with  dwelling-site  debris,  fragments 
of  flint,  pebbles,  innumerable  bits  of  inferior  pottery  being  scattered  around,  but 
no  human  bones,  so  far  as  could  be  determined.  From  this  field  were  gathered 
many  arrow-points  of  flint,  all  rather  rudely  made;  two  ear-plugs  of  earthenware, 
of  different  sizes;  a  large  part  of  a  shell  ornament  1.1  inch  in  diameter,  with  central 
hole  and  scalloped  margin,  and  having  a  perforation  for  suspension. 

Trial-holes  in  this  field  showed  the  dark  soil  to  extend  about  one  foot  to 
underlying  clay.  Possibly  grave-pits  were  present  in  places,  but  as  the  field  was 
covered  with  growing  cotton,  a  full  investigation  was  out  of  the  question. 

MOUND  ON  RODRIGUEZ  PLACK,  RAPIDES  PARISH,  LA. 

On  the  Rodriguez  place,  which  belongs  to  Mr.  E.  S.  Rodriguez,  who  lives  upon 
it,  about  one  mile  south  from  the  landing  is  a  mound  in  a  cultivated  field.  This 
mound,  about  circular  in  basal  outline,  had  a  diameter  of  65  feet.  Mr.  Rodriguez 
informed  us  that  the  field  in  which  the  mound  is,  had  been  cleared  nine  years 
before,  and  pointed  out  the  stump  of  a  large  tree  near  the  center  of  the  mound  as 
marking  its  height  at  that  time,  but  added  that  much  had  been  plowed  away  from 
the  mound  in  parts  surrounding  this  stump,  and  in  fact  the  stump  and  soil  immedi 
ately  surrounding  it  were  considerably  above  all  other  parts  of  the  mound.  The 
level  of  the  ground  where  the  stump  was,  was  somewhat  less  than  3  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  field ;  much  of  the  mound,  however,  did  not  exceed  the  general  level 
by  more  than  1.5  to  2  feet. 

On  and  about  the  mound  several  arrowheads  of  flint  (one  barbed  and  serrated 
on  the  edges  of  the  lower  half  of  the  blade)  and  many  fragments  of  flint  and  of 
pottery  were  found. 

According  to  Mr.  Rodriguez,  bones  had  been  plowed  from  the  mound,  and 
many  long,  red  beads  had  been  found  on  its  surface  by  children  living  nearby. 
Confirming  this,  we  found  on  the  mound  a  tubular  bead  of  red  jasper,  .94  inch  in 
length  ;  .2  inch  in  diameter  and  having  a  perforation  bored  through  from  one  end, 
with  a  diameter  of  .12  inch  at  one  end  and  .07  inch  at  the  other  end.  This  per 
foration,  certainly  a  fine  example  of  aboriginal  skill,  is  evenly  placed,  though,  as 
stated,  the  opening  at  one  end  is  slightly  wider  than  it  is  at  the  other. 

The  mound  was  investigated  by  us  in  a  spirit  of  expectation  which,  unfortu 
nately,  was  not  fulfilled. 


508  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 

In  the  shallower  parts  of  the  mound  trial-holes  were  sunk  without  return. 
Centrally  in  the  mound  was  dug  out  a  space  10  feet  square,  which  included  the 
removal  of  the  stump  before  referred  to,  and  resulted  in  the  finding  of  a  single 
burial  under  where  the  stump  had  been.  This  burial,  that  of  an  adult  extended 
on  the  back,  the  head  directed  toward  the  north,  lay  2  feet  7  inches  from  the 
surface,  the  measurement  being  taken  to  the  upper  parts  of  the  skeleton.  No  object 
of  any  kind  was  in  association. 

Seemingly  the  burial  lay  on  the  original  surface  of  the  soil,  or  had  been  placed 
a  few  inches  below  it.  Determination  as  to  this  was  difficult,  however,  as  the  per 
colation  of  water  into  the  hole  where  the  skeleton  lay  greatly  interfered  with  the 
work.  One  thing  was  certain  :  the  burial  had  not  been  made  in  a  grave  dug 
through  any  part  of  the  mound,  as  the  light-yellow  clay  of  which  the  mound  was 
made  was  undisturbed  above  the  skeleton. 

Various  holes  dug  from  what  seemed  to  be  the  base  of  the  mound  gave  no 
indication  of  any  pit  or  pits  extending  beneath  it. 

In  parts  of  the  mound,  distant  from  the  burial,  were  found :  a  rough  arrow 
head  of  flint;  a  flint  drill,  or  possibly  an  arrow-head,  2.75  inches  in  length,  and 
somewhat  less  than  .5  inch  in  maximum  width,  made  from  a  flint  pebble,  the 
original  surface  of  which  is  still  apparent  in  places. 

MOUND  ON  THE  LACKOIX  PLACE,  RAPIDES  PARISH,  LA. 

In  an  open  field,  about  four  hundred  yards  from  the  landing  on  the  Lacroix 
Place,  of  which  Mr.  John  L.  Lacroix,  of  Alexandria,  La.,  is  the  owner,  is  a  mound, 
circular  in  basal  outline,  6  feet  in  height  and  62  feet  in  diameter. 

This  mound,  which  had  every  appearance  of  having  been  dug  into  to  a  great 
extent  previous  to  our  coming  (probably  by  seekers  after  treasure),  is  in  the  main 
made  up  of  bright  yellow  clay  with  admixture  of  sand.  In  the  central  part  of  the 
mound,  however,  the  material  has  a  much  darker  appearance,  and  there  two  trial- 
holes  came  upon  fragments  of  human  bones,  greatly  scattered.  Presumably  these 
skeletal  remains,  taken  out  by  previous  diggers,  had  been  returned  in  partial  filling 
of  the  holes. 

A  number  of  other  trial-holes  put  down  by  us  were  in  the  yellow  soil  to  which 
reference  has  been  made,  and  unearthed  neither  bone  nor  artifact. 

On  the  surface  of  the  field  surrounding  the  mound  were  a  few  fragments  of 
flint,  but  no  other  signs  of  a  dwelling-site  were  apparent. 

MOUND  NEAR  COLFAX,  GKANT  PARISH,  LA. 

On  property  belonging  to  Mrs.  C.  P.  Calhoun,  of  Colfax,  about  100  feet  south 
from  the  township  road  running  eastward  from  Colfax  (which  is  about  2.5  miles 
distant),  is  a  small  mound  on  a  ridge.  In  the  body  of  the  mound  had  been  dug  out 
previous  to  our  coming,  presumably  by  seekers  after  treasure,  a  hole  20  feet  in 
diameter.  The  height  of  the  remaining  part,  which  evidently  had  been  increased 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON    RED   RIVER.  509 

by  soil  thrown  out  by  the  former  diggers,  was  5.5  feet;  the  diameter,  probably 
increased  in  the  same  way,  was  48  feet. 

The  soil  of  the  mound  is  sandy  clay  containing  masses  of  sandstone,  some 
more  than  2  feet  in  diameter. 

Seven  trial-holes  dug  into  the  apparently  unexcavated  part  of  the  mound  were 
unproductive,  and  no  human  remains  or  artifacts  were  noticed  in  the  soil  thrown 
out  by  previous  diggers. 

The  area  surrounding  the  mound  gave  no  indication  of  having  served  previ 
ously  as  a  place  of  abode. 

MOUND  NEAR  BOGGY  BAYOU,  GRANT  PARISH,  LA. 

A  mound  on  a  high  ridge,  on  property  belonging  to  Mr.  C.  H.  Teal,  is  about 
two  miles  in  a  direct  course  north  of  Colfax  and  one-quarter  mile  west  of  the  town 
ship  bridge  over  Boggy  Bayou. 

This  mound,  which  had  been  much  dug  into,  is  at  present  13  feet  7  inches 
in  height,  and  is  93  feet  in  diameter  of  base.  An  excavation  34  feet  by  21  feet, 
with  a  depth  of  7.5  feet  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  had  been  made  into  the  central 
part  of  the  mound  before  our  coming,  while  smaller  excavations  had  been  made 
in  the  sides. 

The  mound  is  composed  of  coarse  sand,  much  of  it  red  but  not  artificially  col 
ored,  with  a  few  small  masses  of  sandstone  scattered  through  it. 

In  seven  trial-holes  nothing  was  found  to  indicate  the  use  of  the  mound  for 
burial,  and  no  fragments  of  bone  or  artifacts  were  seen  about  the  old  excavation. 

The  surrounding  ground  gave  no  sign  of  the  former  presence  of  aborigines. 

DWELLING-SITE    OX    DUNN    PLACE,    GRANT    PARISH,    LA. 

About  one-half  mile  SSW.  from  Dunn  Landing,  in  a  field  on  a  point  of  alluvial 
land,  the  property  of  Mr.  R.  M.  Dunn,  living  on  the  plantation,  is  a  dwelling-site 
about  one  acre  in  extent.  The  surface  of  the  site  is  somewhat  higher  than  sur 
rounding  ground,  and  shows  soil  darkened  by  organic  matter.  Fragments  of 
pottery,  shells,  and  animal  bones  are  scattered  about. 

In  forty-eight  trial-holes  put  down  by  us  the  dwelling-site  material  was  shown 
to  consist  of  dark  soil  with  which  was  mingled  debris  similar  to  that  seen  on  the 
surface.  The  maximum  depth  of  this  dwelling-site  material,  as  shown  by  the 
trial-holes,  was  28  inches.  No  human  remains  were  encountered. 

In  the  digging,  separately,  were  found  :  a  small,  barbed  arrowhead  of  flint ;  a 
drill  of  the  same  material;  a  short,  slender  piercing  implement  of  bone;  an  imple 
ment  of  bone  with  rounded  point  and  having  at  the  opposite  end  the  articular  part 
still  remaining. 

The  fragments  of  pottery  found  above  and  below  the  surface  on  this  site  were 


510  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 

of  fairly  good  quality,  but  without  incised  decoration.     One  sherd,  coated  with  red 
paint  on  both  sides,  was  encountered. 

MOUND  NEAR  BRIAR  BEND  LANDING,  RED  RIVER  PARISH,  LA. 

On  a  high  ridge,  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  east  from  Briar  Bend  Landing, 
in  a  cultivated  field  forming  part  of  the  plantation  of  Mr.  J.  J.  Stanfill,  Sr.,  who 
resides  upon  it,  is  a  symmetrical,  conical  mound  of  sand,  8  feet  7  inches  in  height 
and  55  feet  in  diameter  of  base.  In  the  summit  of  the  mound  previous  diggers  had 
made  an  excavation  6  feet  in  diameter  and  4.5  feet  in  depth,  approximately. 

A  central  excavation  7.5  feet  by  11  feet  was  carried  by  us  to  a  depth  of  12  feet 
3  inches  without  coming  upon  a  distinct  base-line,  but  at  a  depth  of  9  feet  2  inches, 
at  the  central  part  of  the  mound,  the  red  sand  composing  it  rested  upon  sand,  gray- 
brown  in  color,  which  apparently  represented  the  surface  upon  which  the  mound 
had  been  built.  From  the  margin  of  the  mound  on  the  eastern  side,  a  trench  9  feet 
in  width  and  extending  below  the  base  was  dug  in  to  connect  with  the  central 
excavation.  In  addition,  seven  trial-holes  were  sunk  in  various  parts  of  the  mound. 

Although  this  symmetrical  mound,  which,  judging  from  its  measurements, 
must  have  been  originally  without  a  summit-plateau  of  any  extent  (the  previous 
digging  involved  the  throwing  out  of  much  material  and  prevented  a  determination 
at  the  time  of  our  visit),  had  every  appearance  of  having  been  built  for  burial  pur 
poses,  yet  but  few  burials,  apparently,  had  been  placed  in  the  body  of  the  mound. 

In  sand  cast  out  by  previous  diggers  were  small  fragments  of  human  bones, 
and  a  skull  (all  that  remained  of  a  skeleton)  was  encountered  at  a  depth  of  4.5  feet, 
at  the  margin  of  the  previous  excavation. 

Of  nineteen  burials  found  by  us  in  place '  the  two  shallowest  were  6  feet  in 
depth,  and  these,  found  where  the  mound  sloped  considerably,  were  not  far  from  the 
base.  Other  burials  were  from  7  feet  to  12  feet  3  inches  in  depth — a  number  being 
from  10  to  11  feet  down. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  so  large  a  proportion  of  burials  found  by  us  lay  con 
siderably  below  the  original  surface  of  the  ground,  it  seemed  possible  that  the 
mound  had  been  built  above  a  cemetery,  but  various  trial-holes  put  down  in  the 
level  ground  around  the  mound  failed  to  reveal  any  indication  of  one. 

The  burials,  which  were  so  badly  decayed  that  at  times  it  was  hard  to  dis 
tinguish  traces  of  them,  were  as  follows  : 

Partly  flexed  on  the  right  side,  1 

Partly  flexed  on  the  left  side,  1 

Closely  flexed  on  the  right  side,  8 

Closely  flexed  on  the  left  side,  3 

Aboriginal  disturbance,  1 

Bones  in  caved  sand,  1 

Cremations,  4 

1  Some  scattered  bones  fell  in  caved  sand. 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER.  511 

The  cremations  were  all  small  deposits  of  calcined  human  bones,  none  of  which 
had  been  burnt  where  found. 

The  comparative  absence  of  artifacts  in  this  mound  which  had  so  promising  an 
appearance,  was  a  great  disappointment.  With  one  burial  was  a  rude  arrowhead 
of  Hint;  with  another  burial  lay  a  flat  pebble  of  irregular  outline.  Still  another 
burial  had  in  association  a  small  mass  of  galena  (lead  sulphide)  with  a  perforation 
countersunk  at  each  side,  for  use  as  a  bead. 

In  the  sand  thrown  out  by  the  previous  digging  were  three  pairs  of  copper  ear- 
ornaments  of  the  spool-shaped  variety,  some  broken  into  two  parts.  Each  of  these 
ornaments  is  made  of  two  cones  of  sheet-copper,  the  apices  of  the  cones  apparently 
connected  by  inserting  the  apex  of  one  cone  into  that  of  the  companion  cone  and 
spreading  the  sheet-copper  on  the  inside  to  hold  it  in  place.  The  concave  part  of 
each  cone  has  been  covered  with  a  second  thickness  of  sheet-copper  which  is  held 
in  place  by  an  overlapping  margin. 

There  was  also  found  near  the  ear-ornaments  what  seems  to  be  the  lower  half 
of  an  ill-made,  ceremonial  axe  belonging  to  the  hoe-shaped  class,  having  part  of  a 
perforation  in  the  blade.  The  material  apparently  is  a  soft  claystone  which  would 
unfit  the  axe  for  any  practical  use. 

Throughout  the  digging  there  were  found  in  the  mound  only  two  small  frag 
ments  of  earthenware,  both  undecorated. 

The  surrounding  area  showed  no  evidence  of  having  served  as  a  place  of  abode. 

MOUND  AT  GAIIAGAN,  RED  RIVER  PARISH,  LA. 

At  Gahagan,  a  settlement  near  Red  river,  is  the  plantation  of  Mr.  W.  R. 
Ilollingsworth,  of  that  place.  In  aboriginal  times  a  considerable  population  must 
have  inhabited  this  place,  to  judge  from  the  number  of  remnants  of  mounds  that  are 
scattered  throughout  the  fields. 

In  sight  from  Gahagan,  and  also  from  the  river,  in  the  middle  of  a  cultivated 
field,  is  a  mound  of  clay  with  a  small  admixture  of  sand,  which  has  suffered  greatly 
from  the  plow  and  from  wash  of  rain  on  the  loosened  soil.  Presumably  the  diam 
eters  of  the  mound  at  one  time  were  approximately  80  and  110  feet,  but  at  present 
so  much  has  been  plowed  and  washed  from  its  sides  that  it  appears  like  a  peak  of 
much  less  diameter  placed  on  the  central  part  of  a  platform  from  2  to  4  feet  in 
height.  On  this  platform  are  stumps  of  small  trees,  recently  cut,  whose  roots  are 
denuded  of  soil  from  1  to  3  feet  above  the  surface,  showing  how  much  the  mound 
has  lost  in  height  in  its  outer  parts  even  in  very  recent  times. 

The  height  of  the  mound  from  the  level  ground  to  the  summit  of  the  peak  is 
slightly  more  than  11  feet,  measured  from  the  outside. 

J 

Various  trial-holes  in  the  lower  parts  of  the  mound  were  without  result,  but  an 
excavation  12  feet  square,  put  down  about  centrally  in  the  peak  we  have  described, 
intersected  a  grave-pit.  This  pit  was  not  noticed  by  us  at  first,  as  the  upper  5  feet 
of  soil  on  the  mound  was  moist  and  was  approximately  uniform  in  color,  but  below 


512  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 

this  moist  ground  the  soil  was  dry  and  hard,  and  local  layers  in  it  were  plainly 
distinguishable.  A  careful  examination  made  after  the  grave-pit  was  recognized 
showed  it  in  one  place  to  extend  upward  through  the  moist  soil  to  within  3  feet  of 
the  surface,  where  it  was  lost,  but  in  all  probability  the  grave  had  been  put  down 
from  the  surface. 

The  pit,  which  was  traceable  with  the  greatest  ease  in  the  lower  and  dry  part 
of  the  mound,  the  mixed  material  with  which  the  pit  was  filled  contrasting  with 
local  layers  through  which  the  grave  had  cut,  had  two  sides  running  about  NW. 
and  SE.  These  sides  differed  slightly  in  length,  one  being  12  feet  2  inches  and 
the  other,  13  feet.  The  ends  of  the  grave,  which  were  about  at  right  angles  to  its 
sides,  were  8  feet  9  inches  and  7  feet.  The  grave  expanded  somewhat  in  the  mid 
dle,  the  distance  across  it  there  being  9  feet  8  inches. 

The  depth  of  the  grave-pit,  determined  from  the  highest  part  of  the  mound 
above  it,  was  about  11  feet.  Approximately  7  inches  below  the  bottom  of  the 
grave  was  a  layer  of  dark  soil,  a  few  inches  in  thickness,  which  evidently  was  the 
original  surface  of  the  ground.  Presumably,  however,  the  proximity  of  the  bottom 
of  the  pit  to  the  base  of  the  mound  was  accidental. 

On  the  bottom  of  the  grave  lay  five  skeletons,  all  at  full  length  on  the  back, 
as  follows  : 

Burial  No.  1,  adult,  the  head  directed  NW. 

Burial  No.  2,  adult,  the  feet  18  inches  apart,  head  NW. 

Burial  No.  3,  adult,  head  NE. 

Burial  No.  4,  adolescent,  head  NW. 

Burial  No.  5,  adolescent,  having  an  arrangement  of  the  arms  different  from 
that  usually  found  in  the  case  of  extended  burials,  where  the  arms,  as  a  rule  lie  at 
length  along  the  sides  of  the  body.  In  this  case  the  right  forearm  extended  across 
the  trunk  diagonally  down,  while  the  left  forearm  was  doubled  up,  the  hand  resting 
on  the  left  shoulder.  The  head  of  this  burial  was  directed  NE. 

Burials  Nos.  1  and  4,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  plan  of  the  grave  (Fig.  12),  lay 
each  along  a  side  of  the  grave,  while  Burial  No.  5  rested  across  one  end  of  it.  Par 
allel  to  the  opposite  end  and  somewhat  more  than  2  feet  from  it  was  Burial  No.  3. 
Burial  No.  2  lay  in  the  space  enclosed  by  the  others. 

Burials  Nos.  4  and  5,  the  adolescents,  had  no  artifacts  in  immediate  association. 

Burials  Nos.  1,  2,  and  3,  the  adults,  lay  in  such  a  way  that  the  skulls  of  two 
of  them  were  but  3  inches  apart,  while  the  skull  of  the  third  (Burial  No.  1)  was 
about  2  feet  from  the  other  two. 

Carefully  arranged  within  the  space  between  the  three  skulls,  but  apparently 
more  closely  related  to  Burial  No.  2,  were :  a  group  of  slender,  bone  pins,  badly 
decayed  and  broken  ;  an  ornament  of  sheet-copper,  evidently  originally  of  consider 
able  size,  represented  when  found  only  by  small  fragments ;  a  celt  of  a  compact 
rock,  2.75  inches  in  length;  a  graceful  lancehead  of  flint,  3.75  inches  long;  a 
handsome,  barbed  arrowhead  of  flint,  about  1.5  inch  in  length,  with  five  flint 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


513 


points,  some  .5  inch  long,  some  slightly  more,  near  it;  a  handsome  boatstonc1  of 
diabase,  3.75  inches  long,  having  the  usual  concavity  in  the  base  but  without  per 
forations  ;  remnants  of  two  small  ornaments  of  sheet-copper,  decayed  through  and 
through;  a  cylinder,  about  2  inches  long  and  .5  inch  in  diameter,  of  decaying  lig 
neous  material  which  Prof.  George  B.  Sudworth,  Dendrologist  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  kindly  has  determined  to  have  been  wood  of 


-1: --.,.--•  -.'•Wi'J.'1"-  ' 


kff 
IP 


m% 


FJG.  12. — Plan  of  grave.     Mound  at  Gahagan,  La. 

the  elm  (Ulmus  americana}.    This  last  ornament,  like  similar  ones  from  this  mound, 
had  been  copper-coated  but  was  too  badly  decayed  for  preservation  as  a  whole. 

With  the  exception  of  the  deposit  just  described,  which  extended  to  the  skull 
of  Burial  No.  2  and  continued  with  this  burial,  and  presumably  belonged  to  it, 

'For  other  boatstones  found  west  of  Mississippi  river  see  our  account  of  the  mounds  near  Chand 
ler  Landing,  Prairie  Co.,  Ark.  (White  river),  in  which  a  number  were  found,  including  one  of  rock 
crystal.  "Antiquities  of  the  St.  Francis,  White  and  Black  rivers,"  p.  345,  346.  Journ.  Acad.  Xnt. 
Sci.  of  Phila.,  Vol.  XIV. 

65  JOUEN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


514  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 

Burial  No.  1  had  no  artifacts  in  close  association  with  it.  It  is  possible,  however, 
that  various  objects  to  be  described  later,  which  lay  along  one  end  of  the  grave, 
were  put  in  for  the  dead  in  common,  in  which  event  the  remains  of  the  adolescents 
also  shared  in  the  offering. 

Burial  No.  2,  continuing  the  deposit  described  as  enclosed  by  the  three  skulls, 
had  under  the  skull  an  ornament  of  sheet-copper  and  wood,  greatly  decayed. 

Along  the  left  humerus,  a  continuation  of  the  deposit  of  arrowheads  already 
noted,  were  fourteen  others  similar  to  the  smaller  ones  in  it. 

At  the  upper  part  of  the  left  humerus  was  a  tubular  bead  of  the  kind  already 
described.  A  similar  one  lay  on  the  thorax. 

At  the  right  shoulder  were  traces  of  sheet-copper. 

At  the  right  wrist  was  a  mass  of  galena,1  and  under  the  right  hand,  lying  trans 
versely,  was  a  carefully-made  ceremonial  axe  of  quartzite,  6.25  inches  in  length. 

Lying  by  the  outer  side  of  the  upper  part  of  the  left  femur  was  a  copper-coated 
bead  like  the  others,  and  around  the  upper  part  of  the  left  tibia  were  fragments  of 
a  number  of  similar  beads  which,  strung  together,  probably  had  encircled  the  leg. 

At  the  right  knee  was  a  small  ornament  of  decayed  wood  which  had  been 
coated  with  copper,  in  fragments,  and  which  had  been  a  rattle,  as  shown  by  the 
presence  of  a  number  of  small  pebbles. 

At  both  ankles  were  the  remains  of  a  number  of  ornaments  of  wood,  copper- 
coated,  crushed  together  and  completely  out  of  shape,  among  which  were  small 
pebbles,  showing  that  here,  too,  rattles  had  been  present.  With  these  were  some 
very  small,  shell  beads. 

Burial  No.  3  had,  under  the  chin,  a  circular  ornament  of  wood,  in  the  form  of 
a  disk,  about  1.5  inch  in  diameter,  copper-coated  on  both  sides,  and  the  decaying 
remains  of  sheet-copper  and  wood  at  the  left  of  the  lower  jaw. 

Along  one  end  of  the  grave,  and  nearest  to  Burial  No.  3,  but  18  inches  and 

1  Galena,  lead  sulphide,  as  is  well  known,  is  often  found  in  the  mounds,  and  when  thus  found  is 
usually  coated  with  the  white,  lead  carbonate.  Lead  carbonate  is  the  white  lead  of  commerce.  The 
aborigines  did  not  possess  the  chemical  knowledge  to  make  this  carbonate  from  lead,  but  some  of  them 
scraped  the  carbonate  deposit  from  galena  for  use  as  paint.  Lumps  of  galena  were  found  by  us  in  the 
mounds  and  cemeteries  of  the  great  site  at  Moundville,  Ala.,  where  also  numerous  ceremonial  palettes 
of  stone,  smeared  over  with  the  white,  carbonate  paint,  were  recovered. 

The  mass  of  galena  found  in  the  mound  at  Gahagan  differs  from  the  masses  of  this  material  hith 
erto  met  with  by  us  in  that  it  is  lighter  in  weight  and  much  more  friable.  It  seemed  to  us,  from  its 
appearance,  that  the  mass  had  been  pulverized  rather  than  having  been  a  solid  lump,  when  left  in  the 
mound.  The  mass  was  submitted  to  Doctor  Keller,  who  reported  upon  it  as  follows:  "The  material 
from  Burial  Number  2,  Gahagan,  La.,  consists  chiefly  of  carbonate  of  lead.  It  was  undoubtedly  formed 
by  gradual  oxidation  from  galena,  of  which  particles  are  still  contained  in  it.  I  have  endeavored  to 
ascertain  whether  this  material  was  originally  in  the  form  of  powder  or  massive,  but  I  confess  that  I 
am  unable  to  arrive  at  a  definite  conclusion  as  to  this.  On  the  one  hand  I  have  seen  such  earthy  nod 
ules  of  cerusite  with  streaks  of  unaltered  galena  in  them,  and,  on  the  other,  I  find  on  removing  the 
carbonate  with  acetic  acid  that  the  remaining  galena  is  in  very  fine  particles.  The  external  shape  of 
the  lump  is  not  unlike  that  of  nodules  of  natural  earthy  cerusite.  There  is  considerable  silicious  matter 
admixed  to  the  lead  compound." 

If  this  mass  consisted  of  powdered  galena,  probably  held  together  by  grease,  it  was  doubtless  used 
by  the  natives  as  a  cosmetic,  as  it  is  used  today  by  natives  of  Nigeria  and  farther  north.  See  J.  D. 
Falconer,  "On  Horseback  Through  Nigeria,"  pp.  67  and  116. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


515 


more  from  it,  extended  various  deposits  in  a  line.    At  the  northern  corner,  together, 
were  Vessel  No.  1  and  a  pipe  of  earthenware. 

This  unique  pipe,  5.5  inches  in  height  (Figs.  13,  14,  15,  16),  consists  of  a 
human  figure  seated  on  the  lower  limbs  which  extend  parallel  beneath,  the  feet 
turned  inward.  The  figure  is  not  turned  toward  the  outside  world  as  figures  on 


Fl«.  13. — Pipe  of  earthenware,  with  interior  passage  between 
the  bowl  and  the  mouth  of  the  figure.  Gahagan,  La. 
(Height  5.5  inches.) 


FIG.  14. — Earthenware  pipe.     Side  view. 


the  pipes  of  the  white  man  invariably  are,  but  faces  the  smoker,  as  aboriginal  pipes 
sometimes  were  constructed,  the  mind  of  the  savage  apparently  possessing  a  smaller 
share  of  altruism  (or  an  inferior  measure  of  vanity,  shall  we  say?)  than  that  of 
civilized  man. 

The  figure  is  represented  as  holding,  not  a  simple  pipe-bowl  (as  figures  of  this 
kind  in  connection  with  aboriginal  pipes  usually  do,  the  orifice  for  the  stem  being 
in  the  figure),  but  a  regular  biconical  pipe  complete. 


516 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


FIG.  15. — Earthenware  pipe.     Back  view. 


Fio.  17. — Earthenware  pipe.  Vertical  section,  showing  pas 
sageway  between  the  bowl  of  the  pipe  and  the  mouth  of  the 
image.  (Full  size.) 

We  now  come  to  the  most  striking 
feature  of  all.  Connected  with  the  base  of 
the  pipe-bowl  is  a  passageway  ascending 
through  the  body  of  the  figure,  as  shown 
in  the  diagram  (Fig.  17),  and  ending  at  the 
mouth,  which  is  open,  in  a  way  that  smoke 
can  be  made  to  emerge  from  the  mouth 
when  the  pipe  is  in  use.  This  feature  we 
believe  to  be  hitherto  unreported  in  con 
nection  with  aboriginal  pipes. 

Dr.  J.  Walter  Fewkes  writes  as  to  this 
pipe  as  follows : 

"  I  do  not  recall  ever  having  seen  an 
aboriginal  pipe  constructed  in  the  way  you 
describe,  but  I  can  readily  see  how  it  is 
possible  to  combine  a  '  cloud  blower '  and  a 


FIG.  16. — Earthenware  pipe.     View  of  base. 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


517 


FIG.  18. — Selection  of  flints  from  Deposit  Xo.  1.    Gahagan,  La.     (Full  size.) 


518 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


FIG.  19.— Selection  of  flints  from  Deposit  No.  2.     Gahagan,  La.     (Full  size.) 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


519 


pipe  in  such  a  way  that  smoke  could  be  blown  on  sacred 
objects  at  the  same  time  the  priest  smokes. 

"  Some  tubular  pipes  are  used  by  the  Hopi  as  cloud 
blowers,  smoke  being  blown  through  them  as  I  have 
described  in  my  account  of  the  '  Snake  Ceremonial  at 
Walpi'  (Journ.  Amer.  Eth.  and  Arch.,  Vol.  IV,  p.  32), 
in  others  smoke  is  sucked  into  the  mouth.  Combine 
both  and  change  form,  and  you  have  your  pipe." 

We  now  return  to  the  deposit.  Somewhat  farther 
along  was  a  deposit  of  twenty-eight  points  and  blades 
of  Hint,  one  gracefully  curved  for  use  as  a  knife,  rang 
ing  in  length  between  4.1  and  8  inches.  This  deposit, 
which  was  8  inches  in  height,  included  but  two  points 
or  blades  not  directed  the  same  way.  One  of  these  was 
reversed ;  the  other  lay  transversely  across  one  end  of 
the  pile.  A  selection  from  these  flints  is  shown  in 
Fig.  18. 

Parallel  with  the  deposit  of  flints  and  placed  be 
tween  some  of  them  were  a  number  of  bone  pins  (at 
least  seven)  very  badly  decayed  and  broken,  and  one 
flat  implement  of  bone. 

Also  with  the  flints  were  thirteen  small  chips  of 
the  same  material,  and  Vessel  No.  2,  in  fragments,  as 
were  all  vessels  from  this  place,  lay  against  the  wall 
nearby. 

Still  farther  along  was  another  deposit  of  flints, 
also  consisting  of  twenty-eight  blades  and  lance-points, 
ranging  in  length  between  3.9  inches  and  8.9  inches. 
Three  selected  specimens  from  this  deposit  are  shown 
in  Fig.  19.  With  this  deposit  were  part  of  a  large  blade, 
and  two  well-made  arrowheads  of  flint,  with  triangular 
blades.  The  deposit  lay  in  a  pile  with  no  uniformity 
as  to  direction  of  the  points.  With  it  also  were  :  twenty- 
three  chips,  all  of  black  flint,  somewhat  irregular  in 
shape,  none  more  than  1.1  inch  in  maximum  diameter  ; 
a  large  number  of  badly-decayed,  bone  pins,  crushed 
together ;  a  sandstone  hone  for  sharpening  points  by 
longitudinal  application  and  having  at  one  end  a  semi 
circular  notch,  perhaps  for  the  smoothing  of  shafts  of 
arrows  (Fig.  20):  a  number  of  bone  implements  decayed 
past  preservation ;  a  beautiful  little  chisel  of  shale,  4 
inches  in  length;  red  pigment;  a  small  sandstone  hone  FlL20(7"uieZe°)Sandstone'  Ga''apaD' 
and  part  of  another. 


5-20  SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


FIG.  21.— Deposit  No.  3.     Flints.     Gahagan,  La.     (Full  size.) 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


Partly  surrounded  by  the  flint  deposit  was  Vessel  No.  3,  a  bottle. 

The  final  deposit  along  the  wall  consisted  of  six  points  of  flint  between  2.75 
inches  and  5.75  inches  in  length  and  having  no  uniformity  of  direction  as  to  the 
points  (Fig.  21). 

As  we  have  said,  Gahagan  (see  map)  is  much  farther  up  on  Red  river  than  are 
the  other  Louisiana  sites  in  which  pottery  was  met  with  by  us.  The  earthenware 
from  Gahagan  is  of  very  different  quality  from  that  found  by  us  in  sites  farther 
down  the  river,  that  from  Gahagan  being  hard,  black,  and  with  a  surface  having 
considerable  polish,  which  readily  lent  itself  to  incised  decoration. 

As  noted,  but  three  vessels  came  from  the  interesting  mound  at  Gahagan,  but 
all  three  are  distinctive  of  the  place,  bearing  decoration,  profuse  in  two  instances, 
consisting  of  series  of  extremely  fine,  parallel  lines,  very  closely  placed,  in  combi 
nation  withspaces  partly  cut  through 
the  ware.    Red  pigment  has  been  in 
the  lines  and  in  the  excised  spaces. 

Vessel  No.  1.  A  graceful  vase 
with  flat  bottom,  the  body  first  ex 
panding  and  then  constricted  toward 
the  rim.  The  decoration  is  made 
up  of  series  of  diagonal  and  circular 
lines  in  connection  with  spaces  of  the 
kind  already  described  (Fig.  22). 

Vessel  No.  2.  A  wide-mouthed 
bottle  with  flat  base,  undecorated  as 
to  the  body,  but  having  around  the 
neck  a  series  of  lines,  some  diagonal, 
some  vertical,  in  connection  with  the 
excised  spaces  found  on  the  pottery 
from  this  place.  Height,  5.1  inches. 

Vessel  No.  3.  A  bottle,  with 
tapering  neck  and  base  almost  flat 
(Fig.  23),  having  by  way  of  decora 
tion  designs  similar  to  those  des 
cribed  as  on  Vessel  No.  1. 

Various  holes  sunk  by  us  from  the  bottom  of  the  grave  and  in  parts  of  the 
peak  outside  the  grave  came  upon  the  dark  layer  which  we  have  described  as 
marking  the  surface  before  the  mound  was  built.  Trial-holes  in  the  shallow  parts 
of  the  mound  came  upon  it  also,  consequently,  so  far  as  our  knowledge  extends, 
no  pit  below  the  base  of  the  mound  is  present;  but  to  determine  this  matter 
definitely  and  to  learn  if  any  other  burials  are  in  the  mound,  its  demolition  would 
be  necessary. 

66  JOUEN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


FIG.  22.— Vessel  No.  1.     Gahagan,  La.     (Height  4.9  inches.) 


522  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


FIG.  23.— Vessel  No.  3.     Gabagan,  La.     (Height  9  inches.) 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  523 

MOUND  NEAR  TAYLORTOWN,  BOSSIER  PARISH,  LA. 

About  one  mile  NNW.  from  Taylortown,  on  property  of  Mr.  A.  J.  Hall  resid 
ing  there,  on  the  edge  of  a  field  bordering  Flat  river,1  is  a  mound  of  alluvial  soil,  3 
feet  high  and  43  feet  in  diameter  of  base.  These  dimensions  of  the  mound  as  it 
appeared  at  the  time  of  our  visit  do  not,  however,  convey  an  exact  idea  of  the 
former  size  of  the  mound,  inasmuch  as  the  river,  in  time  of  Hood,  has  left  a  con 
siderable  deposit  around  the  mound,  thus  lessening  its  height  by  about  one  foot,  as 
shown  by  measurements  made  by  us  which  reached  gray  soil,  indicating  the  original 
surface  of  the  ground,  at  a  depth  of  about  4  feet  below  the  top  of  the  mound,  and 
a  road  made  through  part  of  the  mound  has,  to  some  extent,  lessened  its  diameter. 

An  excavation,  central  in  the  mound,  approximately  5  feet  in  diameter  and  3 
feet  in  depth  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  had  been  dug  by  seekers  after  treasure.  We 
were  informed  by  our  agent  that  at  the  time  of  his  visit  to  the  mound  in  his  pre 
liminary  search,  fragments  of  human  bones  lay  on  the  surface,  near  this  excavation. 

Thirteen  large  trial-holes  were  sunk  by  us  into  the  mound  proper  and  into  the 
level  ground  traversed  by  the  road  to  which  we  have  referred.  Thirteen  burials 
were  encountered,  remains  being  found  in  most  of  the  holes. 

With  the  exception  of  one  burial  10  inches  down,  none  was  encountered  at  a 
depth  less  than  somewhat  more  than  3  feet,  while  most  of  the  burials  were  from  4 
to  5  feet  down  and  one  was  a  trifle  in  excess  of  5  feet  in  depth.  Hence  it  will  be 
noted  that  some  of  the  burials  were  below  the  original  surface  of  the  ground. 

The  thirteen  burials,  none  of  which  was  in  a  condition  to  save,  were  of  the 
following  kinds : 

Skeletons  partly  flexed  on  the  right  side,  5 

Skeletons  partly  flexed  on  the  left  side,  3 

Bunched  burials  associated  with  cremated  human  remains,  4 

Bunched  burial  without  cremated  human  remains,  1 

The  calcined  fragments  of  human  bones  with  the  bunched  burials  sometimes 
were  in  a  small  deposit  with  the  unburnt  bones  of  the  burial,  and  sometimes  lay 
scattered  throughout  the  burial. 

Of  the  five  bunched  burials,  one  was  without  a  cranium,  while  the  others  had 
two,  four,  seven,  and  thirteen,  respectively.  These  crania  were  in  no  case  recov 
ered  entire. 

Artifacts  found  in  this  mound  were  dishearteningly  few,  and  nothing  was  met 
with  in  the  soil  apart  from  human  remains,  not  even  a  sherd. 

With  Burial  No.  1,  which  was  10  inches  from  the  surface,  and  consisted  of  a 
few  unburnt  bones  without  a  skull,  was  an  undecorated  pot  5  inches  in  diameter 
and  about  3  inches  in  height. 

Burial  No.  3,  which  was  bunched,  with  seven  skulls  and  cremated  remains,  had 
in  association  a  bone  of  a  deer,  badly  broken,  having  the  articular  part  removed  at 

1  We  are  informed  that  this  "old  river"  leaves  Red  river  at  one  place  and  joins  it  at  another. 
Doubtless  Flat  river  at  one  time  was  part  of  Red  river,  and  probably  then  the  mound  in  question  stood 
on  its  bank. 


524  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 

one  end  and  partly  cut  away  somewhat  obliquely  at  the  other  end.  With  this  were 
fragments  of  at  least  two  slender  bone  implements  and  the  penis-bone  of  a  raccoon, 
from  which  the  distal  end  is  broken. 

A  human  lower  jaw  from  this  mound,  presented  by  us  to  the  Army  Medical 
Museum,  Washington,  D.  C.  (catalogue  number  14,237),  is  pronounced  by  the 
authorities  of  the  museum  to  show  osteitis  deformans. 

The  area  surrounding  the  mound  is  covered  by  alluvial  deposit  to  an  extent 
practically  precluding  all  chance  of  discovering  aboriginal  cemeteries,  if  any  are 
present. 

MOUND  AT  SUNNY  POINT,  BOSSIER  PARISH,  LA. 

This  quadrangular  mound,  about  one-quarter  mile  from  the  river,  on  Sunny 
Point,  is  about  G  feet  in  height  at  the  present  time,  though  it  is  apparent  that  a 
deposit  of  mud  from  the  river  in  times  of  overflow,  has  considerably  lessened  the 
original  altitude.  The  basal  diameters  N.  and  S.  and  E.  and  W.  are  respectively 
72  and  93  feet.  The  diameters  of  the  summit-plateau,  in  the  same  directions,  are 
32  and  50  feet.  This  mound  was  covered  with  recent  graves,  and  permission  to 
dig  into  it  was  withheld. 

MOUNDS    NEAR    PlCKETT    LANDING,    CADDO    PARISH,    LA. 

About  two  miles  in  a  straight  line  westwardly  from  Pickett  Landing  is  the 
plantation  of  Mr.  H.  L.  Heilperin,  of  Shreveport,  La.,  on  which  is  a  fine  group  of 
mounds.  Near  some  of  these  are  small  ponds  whence  material  for  the  mounds 
was  taken. 

These  mounds,  seven  in  all  (not  taking  into  account  several  insignificant  rises 
of  the  ground),  form  an  irregular  ellipse,  two  mounds  facing  each  other  ESE.  and 
WNW.  at  a  distance  of  about  615  yards.  The  transverse  diameter  of  the  ellipse 
is  150  yards.  On  the  southern  side  of  the  ellipse  are  two  mounds,  the  remaining 
three  being  on  the  northern  side. 

These  mounds,  all  but  one  of  which  have  houses  upon  them,  range  between 
2  and  15  feet  in  height.  All  probably  have  been  quadrilateral,  with  flat  tops, 
though  all  but  two  have  been  worn  and  washed  by  rain  to  an  extent  that  makes 
the  determination  of  their  original  shape  almost  impossible. 

The  westernmost  mound,  which  forms  one  extremity  of  the  ellipse,  is  fairly 
symmetrical,  square,  with  diameter  of  base  somewhat  more  than  150  feet  and  with 
a  perfectly  flat  summit-plateau  about  70  feet  in  diameter.  Its  sides  do  not  face 
the  cardinal  points,  one  being  opposite  to  NNE. 

The  other  of  the  two  most  symmetrical  mounds  of  this  group  lies  eastsouth- 
eastwardly  from  the  one  just  described  and  has  no  intervening  mound.  It  is 
quadrangular,  writh  a  flat  summit-plateau,  and  has  basal  diameters  (similar  in 
direction  to  those  of  the  other  mound)  NNE.  and  SSW.  160  feet,  and  WNW.  and 
ESE.  220  feet.  The  summit-plateau  in  corresponding  directions  is  90  feet  and 
145  feet.  The  height  of  this  mound  is  a  trifle  more  than  15  feet. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  525 

There  seems  to  be  no  history  of  discovery  of  bones  or  of  artifacts  at  this  place, 
and  with  the  exception  of  a  few  sherds,  probably  exposed  by  wash  of  rain  on  the 
surface  of  the  largest  mound,  nothing  was  found  by  us  either  superficially  on  the 
plantation  or  in  numerous  trial-holes  put  down  in  the  summit-plateaus  of  the  two 
largest  mounds  and  in  two  smaller  mounds,  on  all  four  of  which  dark  soil  indicated 
former  aboriginal  abode. 

Dwelling-site  material,  probably  indicating  the  presence  of  cemeteries  at  this 
place,  no  doubt  lies  beneath  layers  of  deposit  from  periods  of  overflow. 

In  some  of  the  mounds  of  this  important  site  probably  interesting  burials  might 
be  found  did  not  the  presence  of  buildings  upon  the  mounds  make  a  careful  investi 
gation  impossible. 

MOUND  ON  CEDAR  BLUFF  PLANTATION,  CADDO  PARISH,  LA. 

Cedar  Bluff  Plantation  is  the  property  of  Mr.  J.  S.  Swann,  whose  residence  is 
on  Cedar  Bluff  immediately  across  the  river  and  opposite  the  plantation. 

About  one-quarter  mile  in  a  northwesterly  direction  from  Cedar  Bluff  Planta 
tion  Landing,  in  full  view  from  the  levee  as  it  was  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  was  a 
mound  of  sand,  4.5  feet  in  height,  having  a  very  irregularly  circular  outline,  due 
probably  to  tillage.  Its  basal  diameter  is  73  feet. 

Eight  trial-holes  came  upon  a  layer  of  dark  sand,  having  a  maximum  thickness 
of  3  inches.  This  layer  was  3.5  feet  below  the  highest  parts  of  the  mound  and 
proportionately  less  under  more  marginal  parts.  In  places  in  the  layer  was  midden 
debris,  including  fragments  of  shells,  parts  of  bones  of  lower  animals,  and  several 
fragments  of  pottery,  two  of  them  of  excellent  ware,  having  decoration  conferred 
with  a  fine  point  but  somewhat  lacking  in  regularity.  No  burials  or  artifacts  other 
than  pottery  were  encountered. 

MOUND  ON  THE  THOMPSON  PLACE,  CADDO  PARISH,  LA. 

On  the  plantation  of  Mr.  A.  R.  Thompson,  who  resides  on  it,  is  a  mound 
slightly  more  than  7  feet  in  height,  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  W.  by  N.  from 
the  landing.  This  mound,  which  has  been  quadrangular,  has  been  under  cultiva 
tion,  so  that  the  corners  are  somewhat  rounded.  Its  sides  almost  exactly  face  the 
cardinal  points.  The  basal  diameter  N.  and  S.  is  105  feet ;  the  minor  diameter, 
72  feet.  The  diameters  of  the  summit-plateau  are  53  feet  and  20  feet  respectively. 

Eight  trial-holes  sunk  into  this  mound,  the  soil  of  which  was  dark  and  had  a 
promising  appearance,  soon  penetrated  sand  of  a  raw,  yellow  shade,  in  which  was 
found  no  indication  of  the  presence  of  burials.  The  surrounding  area  showed  no 
sign  of  having  served  as  a  place  of  abode  in  aboriginal  times. 

MOUNDS  NEAR  BYRAM  FERRY,  BOSSIER  PARISH,  LA. 

About  one  mile  ESE.  from  Byram  Ferry,  in  woods  belonging  to  Mr.  A.  L. 
Byram,  who  resides  some  distance  back  in  the  hills,  are  two  mounds  within  a  few 
yards  of  each  other. 


526  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 

The  larger  of  these  mounds,  somewhat  less  than  9  feet  in  height,  is  oblong, 
with  rounded  corners.  Its  sides  practically  face  the  cardinal  points ;  its  diameter 
of  base,  N.  and  S.,  is  132  feet.  The  diameter  of  the  summit-plateau  in  the  same 
direction  is  80  feet.  The  minor  basal  diameter  is  98  feet,  about  50  feet  of  which  is 
covered  by  the  summit-plateau,  which  is  not  flat  but  has  an  upward  slope  from 
south  to  north. 

Trial-holes  put  down  from  the  plateau  of  this  mound  showed  the  northern 
part  of  it  to  be  of  clay  superficially,  which  being  dug  through  gave  place  to  fine 
sand.  Excavations  in  the  southern  part  of  the  mound  were  in  sand  from  the 
beginning. 

No  bones,  human  or  animal,  were  found,  and  no  artifacts,  fragmentary  or 
entire,  were  met  with  in  the  digging. 

The  smaller  mound,  of  sand,  4  feet  in  height,  had  a  circular  outline  of  base 
with  a  diameter  of  about  75  feet.  The  summit-plateau  was  35  feet  in  diameter. 

In  this  mound  trial-holes  were  put  down  and  in  addition  a  central  excavation 
18  feet  square.  A  layer  of  dark  material,  about  6  inches  thick,  was  encountered 
4  feet  10  inches  from  the  surface.  This  layer  evidently  marked  the  original  surface 
of  the  ground.  It  was  without  break  of  any  kind,  and  it  was  evident  that  no  pits 
extended  below  it.  Nothing  was  found  in  the  digging  except  one  rude  arrowhead 
of  flint. 

We  now  come  to  sites  along  Red  river  in  Arkansas. 

MOUND    NEAR    HlGKTOWER    LANDING,    LAFAYETTE    COUNTY,    ARKANSAS. 

About  one  mile  NNE.  from  Hightower  Landing,  in  woods,  is  a  mound  about 
4.5  feet  in  height,  oblong,  with  rounded  corners.  Its  sides  face  the  cardinal  points ; 
its  diameter  N.  and  S.  is  78  feet,  and  57  feet  E.  and  W.  The  summit-plateau,  in 
the  same  directions,  respectively,  is  58  feet  and  40  feet. 

No  bone  or  artifact  of  any  kind  was  found  by  us  in  this  mound,  which  proved 
to  be  of  sand  with  a  slight  admixture  of  clay. 

MOUND  NEAR  DIGGS  BLUFF  LANDING,  MILLER  COUNTY,  ARK. 

Diggs  Bluff  Landing  is  a  short  distance  below  Diggs  Bluff,  which  is  the  end  of 
low  hills  there  approaching  the  river. 

About  one-half  mile  ESE.  from  the  landing,  in  a  cultivated  field  forming  part 
of  a  plantation  belonging  to  Mr.  C.  L.  Bailey,  of  Doddridge,  Ark.,  is  a  mound  which, 
in  the  past,  has  been  under  cultivation.  Owing  to  this,  probably,  its  present  shape 
is  decidedly  irregular,  though  seemingly  the  mound  has  been  quadrangular  with  a 
considerable  plateau.  The  basal  diameters  are  196  feet  and  106  feet,  the  plateau 
having  diameters  of  138  feet  and  62  feet.  The  mound  is  6.5  feet  in  height. 

Sixteen  trial-holes  put  down  from  the  summit-plateau  showed  the  mound  to 
be  almost  exclusively  of  sand.  No  bones,  midden  debris,  or  sign  of  grave  were 
encountered. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  527 

MOUND  NEAR  SULPHUR  RIVER,  MILLER  COUNTY,  ARK. 

In  swamp,  dry  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  is  a  mound  which  may  be  reached  by 
going  about  one  mile  up  Sulphur  river,  a  tributary  of  Red  river,  when  the  mound 
will  be  found  100  yards  north  of  Sulphur  river  and  an  equal  distance  west  of  a 
bayou  tributary  to  it.  This  mound,  6  feet  in  height,  originally  quadrilateral  with 
a  summit-plateau,  has  lost  much  of  its  symmetry  through  trampling  of  cattle  and 
wash  of  water.  Its  basal  diameter  ENE.  and  WSW.  is  126  feet,  and  116  feet 
NNW.  and  SSE.  The  corresponding  diameters  of  the  summit-plateau  are  82  feet 
and  67  feet. 

Investigation  showed  the  mound  to  be  a  mixture  of  sand  and  clay.  No  evi 
dence  of  use  for  burial  purposes  was  observable. 

MOUNDS  ON  THE  HALEY  PLACE,  MILLER  COUNTY,  ARK. 

The  Haley  Place,  well  known  some  distance  along  the  river  for  its  aboriginal 
mounds,  is  the  joint  property  of  Mr.  T.  G.  Batte,  living  nearby,  and  of  the  Mer 
chants  arid  Planters  Bank  of  Texarkana,  Ark. 

The  Haley  Place  in  part  borders  Red  river,  but  its  upper  portion  is  shut  off 
from  the  river  by  another  property.  In  this  upper  part  of  the  Haley  place  is  a 
short  segment  of  a  former  course  of  the  river,  now  closed  at  each  end,  known  as 
Haley  Lake. 

Near  this  "  lake"  is  what  remains  of  a  mound  after  continued  wear  and  wash. 
Upon  it  is  a  frame  building.  Farther  back,  but  in  full  view  from  the  "lake,"  to 
which  one  of  its  shorter  sides  is  about  parallel,  is  a  mound  which  has  been  quad 
rangular,  no  doubt,  but  whose  sides  and  corners  have  been  considerably  worn  by 
trampling  of  cattle  and  by  wash  of  water.  This  mound,  slightly  more  than  1 7  feet 
in  height,  has  a  basal  diameter  E.  by  S.  and  W.  by  N.  of  160  feet,  and  of  120  feet 
S.  by  W.  and  N.  by  E.  The  summit-plateau  is  105  feet  and  90  feet  in  the  same 
directions  respectively.  It  is  not  level.  In  the  western  part  a  slope  upward 
begins,  and  continues  for  18  feet  until  a  height  of  3.5  feet  above  the  eastern  end  of 
the  plateau  is  reached.  Level  ground  then  continues  to  the  western  end  of  the 
plateau.  These  3.5  feet  are  included  in  the  total  height  of  the  mound  as  given  by 
us.  In  sight  from  the  mound  is  a  considerable  depression  whence  material  for  its 
building  was  taken. 

Trial-holes  in  this  mound  soon  came  to  raw -looking  sand,  while  other  holes 
reached  the  sand  after  passing  through  several  feet  of  dark  soil. 

Presumably  this  mound  was  the  one  used  as  a  place  of  abode  by  the  chief  of 
the  aborigines  who  occupied  this  site. 

About  60  yards  in  a  northwesterly  direction  from  the  domiciliary  mound  is 
another  whose  sides  have  been  subject  to  considerable  wash  from  rain,  and  proba 
bly,  as  to  their  lower  parts,  from  the  river  in  flood  time.  Our  measurement,  taken 
from  the  surrounding  level,  determined  the  height  of  this  mound  to  be  slightly  in 


528  SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 

excess  of  11  feet.  It  is  78  feet  across  its  irregularly  circular  base;  its  summit- 
plateau,  also  circular,  is  32  feet  in  diameter.  This  mound  had  the  appearance  of 
having  been  erected  for  some  purpose  other  than  domiciliary.  About  centrally  in 
the  summit-plateau  an  excavation  was  made  having  dimensions  as  follows :  12  feet 
at  the  northern  end,  15  feet  at  the  southern  end,  16  feet  at  the  eastern  and  western 
sides,  which  extended  about  N.  and  S.  The  excavation  was  carried  to  a  depth  of 
10  feet  10  inches,  where  it  came  upon  a  layer  of  soil  8  inches  in  depth,  approxi 
mately.  This  layer  was  black  and  had  every  appearance  of  having  been  the  surface 
of  the  ground  prior  to  the  building  of  the  mound.  Evidence  of  disturbance  found 
in  this  layer  led  to  the  discovery  of  a  remarkable,  central  pit  under  the  mound, 
which  will  be  described  in  due  course. 

In  addition  to  the  excavation  referred  to  and  to  the  complete  investigation  of 
the  great  pit,  shafts  were  cut  from  the  sides  of  the  excavation  into  the  remainder 
of  that  part  of  the  mound  which  lay  beneath  the  summit-plateau,  and  these  shafts, 
in  some  cases,  came  upon  pits  running  down  to  graves,  some  in  the  mound  proper, 
and  some  below  it,  all  of  which  were  carefully  explored. 

The  mound  was  composed  of  a  mixture  of  clay  and  sand,  the  clay  largely  pre 
dominating.  The  material  varied  considerably  in  color  and  many  local  layers  were 
present.  Altogether  the  mound  was  an  ideal  one  for  the  discovery  and  delimitation 
of  pits,  which  often  are  difficult  to  determine  in  mounds  of  homogeneous  material. 

Incidentally  it  maybe  said  that  after  excavating  the  upper  2. 5  to  3  feet,  where 
the  earth  was  moist  and  fairly  soft,  the  digging  was  through  material  so  dry  and 
hard  that  picks  were  needed  throughout  and  the  work  was  slow  and  difficult.  The 
entire  excavation  was  filled  at  the  close  of  our  work,  leaving  the  mound  as  useful 
a  place  of  refuge  as  we  found  it. 

BURIAL  NUJIBEK  1. 

At  the  NE.  corner  of  the  excavation  (see  plan,  Fig.  24),  at  a  depth  of  6  feet 
4  inches  to  the  upper  part  of  the  burial,  was  the  skeleton  of  an  adult,  extended  on 
the  back.  The  skull,  whose  direction,  had  it  been  present,  would  have  been  N.  by 
E.,  was  missing.  This  burial,  doubtless  like  all  the  others  in  the  mound  or  below 
it,  lay  at  the  bottom  of  a  pit,  but  as  the  burial  was  in  the  main  excavation  and  was 
dug  down  upon  by  those  engaged  in  the  general  digging,  it  was  found  before  the 
limits  of  the  pit  were  recognized. 

At  the  right  shoulder  were  two  bottles  in  fragments.  Over  the  right  elbow 
was  a  shell  drinking-cup,  much  decayed  and  badly  broken.  Outside  the  right  elbow 
and  the  right  forearm  respectively,  were  two  pipes  of  earthenware,  in  fragments, 
from  which  mouth-pieces  were  absent.  These  pipes,  which  lay  in  line,  the  stems 
directed  toward  where  the  skull  would  have  been,  are  of  an  interesting  type,  to 
which  belong  all  the  numerous  earthenware  pipes  found  in  this  mound,  with  one 
exception.  As  this  type  will  be  fully  described  and  figured  later  in  this  account,  it 
will  suffice  to  say  here  that  the  bowl  and  stem  are  one  piece,  and  that  the  length 
ranges  between  5.5  inches  and  22.6  inches. 


-r 


Un_e_oj_ 
main  excavation 


\;£>j  .-  I**t*^!^j£^L'>«K  "^ 

A 


^^vrV^/"- 
^oJ'iyi^'ifi 


o     * 


67  JOURX.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


FIG.  24. — Plan  showing  burials.     Mound  at  Haley  Place,  Ark. 


530  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 

With  decaying  fragments  of  ribs  (all  the  bones  of  this  skeleton  were  in  bad 
condition)  was  a  small  arrowhead  of  flint,  somewhat  broken. 

BURIAL  NUMBER  2. 

Near  the  NW.  corner  of  the  main  excavation  a  pit  was  encountered.  It  was 
not  possible  to  determine  exactly  where  this  pit  began,  since,  as  we  have  said,  the 
soil  of  the  upper  few  feet  of  the  mound  was  moist  and  soft  and  had  a  homogeneous 
appearance.  Not  far  below  this  material,  however,  the  pit  was  clearly  denned,  the 
sides  of  it  enclosing  a  broken,  mixed,  and  granular  material  readily  distinguishable 
in  the  digging.  The  downward  course  of  the  pit,  moreover,  was  apparent  where 
it  cut  through  local  layers  in  the  mound,  and  was  darker  and  more  variegated. 

The  pit  continued  down,  cutting  through  the  8  inches  of  the  dark  layer  mark 
ing  the  base  of  the  mound,  and  extending  2  feet  8  inches  farther,  so  that,  if  it 
began  at  the  surface,  as  no  doubt  it  did,  it  had  a  depth  of  about  14  feet — a  depth, 
we  believe,  previously  unheard  of  in  connection  with  aboriginal  graves.  From  the 
line  of  the  base  down  to  where  the  pit  ended,  it  ran  through  red  clay,  which,  to  a 
certain  depth,  was  the  underlying  soil  of  the  field.  With  this  red  clay  the  mottled 
material  filling  the  grave-pit  was  in  still  more  marked  contrast  than  it  was  with  the 
mixture  of  sand  and  clay  composing  the  mound,  so  that  the  graves  extending  below 
the  base  of  the  mound  were  almost  as  readily  distinguishable,  in  that  part,  as  they 
would  have  been  if  they  had  been  walled  around  with  brick. 

The  pit  at  the  base  was  almost  oblong — about  8  feet  in  length,  5  feet  10  inches 
at  one  end  and  6  feet  6  inches  at  the  other  end — as  may  be  seen  by  the  plan  which 
was  drawn  to  scale  on  the  spot. 

About  centrally  on  the  base  lay,  extended  on  the  back,  a  skeleton  of  an  adult, 
probably  a  male,  the  head  directed  SE.  by  S.,  the  face  turned  to  the  right  side.  The 
bones  were  decayed  and  crushed.  About  6  inches  from  the  skull  lay  an  imperforate, 
undecorated  shell  disk  about  1.25  inch  in  diameter. 

Near  the  forehead,  parallel  with  the  body,  was  a  bead  of  shell,  almost  tubular, 
3.75  inches  in  length,  .6  inch  in  diameter. 

At  the  neck  were  twenty-one  pearls,  from  .12  to  .4  inch  in  diameter,  perforated 
for  use  as  beads.  With  these  was  an  imitation  of  a  canine  tooth  of  a  large  car 
nivore,  wrought  in  shell,  perforated  for  suspension,  which  probably  had  served  as  a 
pendant  with  the  pearls. 

Between  the  right  shoulder  and  the  face  lay  two  shell  disks,  both  undecorated 
and  imperforate,  each  about  2  inches  in  diameter. 

At  the  right  wrist  were  seven  shell  beads,  globular  and  each  about  .75  inch  in 
diameter.  Near  these  was  a  pottery  vessel  crushed  to  fragments. 

At  the  inner  side  of  the  right  tibia  and  parallel  with  it  lay  a  handsome  quartz 
crystal,  about  7  inches  in  length  and  1.5  inch  in  maximum  diameter,  the  point  of 
the  crystal  toward  the  knee  of  the  skeleton. 

At  the  right  ankle  were  nine  beads  of  shell,  each  about  .6  inch  in  diameter. 
Near  these  lay  a  water-bottle,  badly  crushed. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


531 


At  the  inner  side  of  the  left  leg  was  a  small  earthenware  ves 
sel,  and  at  the  left  ankle  were  nine  shell  beads  averaging  about  the 
same  in  size  as  do  other  shell  beads  found  with  this  skeleton.     A 
bowl  much  broken  lay  at  the  feet. 

In  addition  to  these  various  objects  placed  immediately 
with  the  skeleton,  an  interesting  mortuary  deposit  had  been 
arranged  in  the  pit.     Placed  vertically  near  the  eastern 
corner  of  the    grave  were  four  earthenware  pipes,   the 
bowls  downward.     These  pipes,  of  the  type  to  which 
reference  has  been  made,  included  two  somewhat  in 
complete,  they  either   having    been    put   into  the 
mound  with  parts  missing,  or  parts  of  them  had 
been  thrown  back  and  lost  by  our  diggers  who 
came  upon  them  unexpectedly.     One  of  the 
other  two  pipes,  which  were  entire,  was  22 
inches  in  length.     This  deposit  was  not 
upon  the  base  of  the  pit,  the  bowls  of 
the  pipes  having  been  placed  some  dis 
tance  above  it,  the  stems  projecting 
upward.    The  bowl  farthest  down 


(the  bowls  were  not  on  the  same 
plane)  was  7  inches  above  the 
base. 

A  little  farther  in  and 
a  few  inches  above    the 
base    of  the    pit  were 
ten    arrowpoints   of 
Hint.    On  the  base, 
to  the  right  of  the 
skeleton,  but  a 


mar 
gin    of 
the  grave, 
was  a  layer 
of  crushed 
pottery   vessels 
on    which    lay  a 
beautiful    ceremo 
nial  axe  of  slate,  with 
flaring    blade,    14.7 
inches  in  length  (Fig.  25). 
Adhering  to  some  of 
the  pottery  fragments  was  a 
small  amount  of  red  oxide  of 
iron,  powdered    for  use    as  pig 
ment,   and    a    quantity  of   purple 
material    respecting   which     Doctor 
Keller  reports  as  follows: 


short  distance 
from  it,  and 
extending 
to  the 


'  The  '  purple  pigment  from  Haley 
mound,  Burial  No.  2,'  consists  of  oxide 
of    iron,    silicious  matter,    and    carbonate 
of  lime.     The  peculiar   purplish  red-brown 
color    suggests    that   of  burnt  sienna,  and    is 
very  similar  to  that  which  the  red  iron  pigments 
assume  on  ignition.     I  cannot  find  any  other  col 
oring    matter  than  oxide  of  iron  in  this  material, 
and  believe  that  it  must  have  been  strongly  heated." 
This  treatment  by  heat  presumably  was  intentionally 
done  to  obtain  the  purple  color,  as  we  also  have  occasion 
to  state  in  our  description  of  pigment  of  this  kind,  found 
with  Burial  No.  9  in  the  great  pit. 

Below  the  pottery  were  ornaments  of  shell,  including 
three  disks,  imposed  on  which   were   bosses  of  sheet-copper, 
badly  decayed. 


532  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 

On  a  space  intervening  between  the  layer  of  earthenware  we  have  described 
and  a  somewhat  similar  one  farther  along  on  the  right-hand 1  side  of  the  grave,  lay 
a  handsome  celt  of  basanite,  6.8  inches  in  length,  beneath  which  was  part  of  the 
stem  of  an  earthenware  pipe.  Near  the  celt  were  several  small  objects  of  shell. 
These  objects — small  disks,  small  oblong  sections  of  shell,  triangles,  etc. — were 
numerously  found  in  this  mound.  As  a  rule  they  are  imperforate  and  without  dec 
oration.  A  few,  however,  have  holes  in  them.  On  some  are  traces  of  asphalt, 
showing  them  to  have  been  fastened  to  other  objects.  We  believe  them  to  have 
belonged  to  head-ornaments  and  perhaps  to  ornaments  otherwise  worn. 

On  the  second  deposit  of  pottery  to  which  we  have  referred,  which  was  mostly 
crushed  but  included  several  entire  vessels,  near  the  right  hand  of  the  skeleton, 
were  five  earthenware  pipes,  all  broken  and  some  crushed  to  fragments.  Two  of 
these  pipes,  the  broken  parts  cemented  together,  are  22.25  and  22.6  inches  in  length 
respectively. 

On  this  pottery  deposit  also  lay  a  chisel-shaped  ceremonial  axe  of  slate,  9.1 
inches  in  length.  A  drinking-cup  wrought  from  a  conch-shell  (Fulgur perversum], 
whose  excellent  state  of  preservation  made  us  regret  the  entire  absence  of  incised 
decoration  upon  it,  was  at  the  edge  of  the  pottery  deposit,  as  was  a  large  mussel- 
shell  (Unto)  in  fragments. 

On  the  base,  among  the  pottery,  resting  against  a  water-bottle  of  a  kind  unusual 
in  the  region  and  probably  brought  from  Missouri  (Plate  XXXVII),  lay  a  human 
lower  jaw  having  an  end  of  the  ceremonial  axe  we  have  referred  to  lying  upon  it. 
This  jaw,  which  is  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation,  far  better  than  were  the 
bones  of  the  skeleton,  had  no  connection  anatomically  with  the  skeleton,  which  had 
a  mandible  in  place.  The  detached  jaw  bears  numerous  scratches  and  marks  of 
scraping,  which  seemingly  indicate  that  the  flesh  was  removed  from  the  jaw  with 
the  aid  of  some  instrument  preparatory  to  preservation.  The  mandible,  moreover, 
is  smooth,  even  almost  polished  in  places  as  if  it  had  been  in  possession  of  its  sec 
ondary  owner  for  a  considerable  period  of  time.  Its  excellent  state  of  preservation 
calls  to  mind  that  of  many  bone  tools  which  have  thoroughly  hardened  before  inhu 
mation,  and  whose  state  of  preservation  usually  excels  that  of  the  skeleton  with 
which  the  tools  are  found.  This  human  jaw  was  evidently  a  valued  possession  of 
the  occupant  of  the  grave,  when  alive,  and,  found  under  these  conditions,  it  opens 
a  wide  field  for  speculation. 

Beneath  the  pottery  deposit  were  a  number  of  fragments  of  sandstone,  several 
seemingly  intentionally  shaped,  one  being  in  the  form  of  a  rudely-fashioned,  six- 
pointed  star.  One  bit  of  sandstone  in  the  lot  was  grooved  by  sharpening  of  pointed 
implements,  as  was  a  small  flat  mass  of  ferruginous  sandstone  that  lay  with  it. 

Filling  the  western  corner  of  the  base  of  the  pit  was  a  layer  of  pottery  vessels, 
badly  crushed,  fragments  mingled  together  in  almost  inextricable  confusion.  These 
vessels  had  been  piled  one  upon  another  to  form  a  great  deposit,  and  when  the  pit 

1  By  this  we  do  not  mean  the  right-hand  side  of  the  observer  as  he  stands  facing  the  grave,  but 
the  side  to  the  right  of  the  skeleton  as  it  lay.  We  shall  employ  the  terras  right-  and  left-hand  in  this 
sense  throughout  our  descriptions  of  graves. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


533 


was  filled  no  doubt  were  broken  to  some  extent  and  were  ground  to  pieces  when 
the  mass  of  earth  above  them  commenced  to  settle.  Among  these  were  many  cook 
ing  vessels,  some  large,  one  of  which  is  shown  in  Plate  XXXIX.  Also  with  these 
vessels  was  a  huge  bottle,  similar  to  others  from  the  Haley  Place,  17.7  inches  in 
height,  the  neck,  however,  being  only  3.5  inches  high. 

The  ten  arrowpoints  noted  as  present  with  this  burial  are  of  black  flint,  slen 
der,  and  each  about  1.5  inch  in  length.  They  lay  parallel  in  a  little  heap,  their 
points  in  one  direction  —  at  least  in  all  probability  they  did  so,  though  determina 
tion  as  to  all  was  not  possible,  as  one  or  two  were  disarranged  by  a  blow  from  a 
point  of  a  pick,  which  also  caused  the  loss  of  a  considerable  part  of  one  of  the  arrow 
heads.  An  interesting  feature  connected  with  these  little  points  is  that  the  shanks 
of  seven  of  them  have  small  projections  on  two  opposite  sides.  Of  the  remaining 
three  arrowheads  one  is  without  the  projections,  one  was  interred  with  the  shank 
broken,  and  one  is  that  described  as  having  been  broken  by  the  pick.  A  selection 
from  this  deposit  is  shown  in  Fig.  26. 


FIG.  26.—  Arrowheads  of  flint.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Full  size.) 

The  two  interesting,  chisel-shaped,  ceremonial  axes  found  with  this  burial  are 
of  a  rare  class  which  we  have  figured  and  described1  before  and  notably  as  coming 
from  a  mound  on  White  river,  Ark.  Axes  of  this  shape  are  sometimes  found  show 
ing  plainly  the  mark  left  by  the  grip  of  the  handle.  This  mark  is  about  two-  thirds 
back  from  the  cutting  edge  and  shows  the  object  to  have  been  helved  like  an  axe 
and  not  hafted  like  a  chisel.  The  two  specimens  found  with  Burial  No.  2  in  this 
mound  show  no  mark  of  rough  usage  and  unquestionably  were  designed  for  cere 
monial  use. 

BURIAL  NUMBER  3. 

The  pit  containing  Burial  No.  3  was  7.5  feet  deep,  if  dug  from  the  surface,  as 
presumably  it  had  been.  Its  limits  were  not  exactly  defined  by  us,  it  having  been 
cut  into  by  another  grave. 

The  burial  consisted  of  a  skull,  and  then,  at  some  distance  from  it,  a  femur 
out  of  position,  two  tibia?,  and  fibula)  and  full  complement  of  foot  bones,  all  correctly 

1  "Antiquities  of  the  St.  Francis,  White,  and  Black  rivers,  Arkansas,"  p.  345.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat. 
Sci.  of  Phila.,  Vol.  XIV. 


534 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


placed.  The  distance  between  the  skull,  which  was  that  of  an  adult,  and  the  heads 
of  the  tibiae,  was  but  2  feet  7  inches,  a  distance  insufficient  for  the  intervening 
bones  in  order  if  the  burial  originally  was  extended.  Presumably  there  had  been 

some  disturbance  of  the  skeleton,  though  we  did  not  succeed 
in  tracing  its  cause  with  certainty,  as  the  grave-pit  which 
we  have  described  as  cutting  into  that  of  Burial  No.  3,  did 
not  directly  interfere  with  the  skeleton.  However,  if  the 
grave  of  the  interfering  burial  (No.  4)  was  dug  soon  after 
that  of  No.  3  had  been  filled,  it  is  possible  that  loose  soil 
filling  the  pit  of  Burial  No.  3  may  have  caved  out  with  some 
of  the  bones  of  that  burial.  If  this  happened  (and  we  are 
by  no  means  convinced  that  it  did)  the  diggers  of  the  grave 
of  Burial  No.  4  must  have  returned  a  pottery  deposit  to  its 
place  and  also  the  bones  of  the  legs  and  feet  without  dis 
turbing  their  connection  by  ligaments. 

Across  the  forehead  of  the  cranium  of  Burial  No.  3  were 
a  number  of  implements  of  bone,  with  the  articular  parts 
remaining.  These  implements  were  badly  decayed. 

To  the  right  of  the  forehead  lay  a  small  sandstone  hone. 

To  the  right  of  the  skull  were  two  disks  of  shell,  undec- 
orated  and  irnperforate,  each  about  2.5  inches  in  diameter, 
and  six  small  ornaments  of  the  class  so  often  found  in  this 
mound,  cut  from  the  body  whorl  of  marine  univalves,  oblong 
and  of  kindred  shapes,  imperforate  and  undecorated,  from 
1  to  3  inches  in  length. 

To  the  left  of  the  cranium  lay  a  large  mussel-shell 
(Unto)  in  fragments. 

Back  of  the  skull  were  the  remains  of  an  object  of  bone, 
which  probably  had  been  a  hair-pin  (Fig.  27). 

At  the  feet  was  a  confusion  of  crushed  pottery  vessels, 
an  earthenware  pipe,  and  part  of  another  pipe  in  fragments. 

Somewhat  farther  along  were  four  unbroken  vessels. 

Near  the  left  foot  was  a  pile  of  ten  slender  arrowpoints 
of  flint,  of  different  shapes,  three  serrated  as  to  the  lower 
parts  of  the  blades.  These  projectile  points  were  slightly 
disturbed  in  removal,  but  seemingly  they  lay  parallel,  with 
the  points  all  in  the  same  direction. 

Two  feet  beyond  the  foot  bones  lay  a  handsome,  flat 
hatchet  of  basanite,  5  inches  in  length,  with  the  marks  of 
the  handle  plainly  apparent  upon  it.  Under  this  hatchet 
was  part  of  the  stem  belonging  to  a  pipe  in  the  pottery 

deposit  already  described. 

Near  the  right-hand  wall  of  the  pit,  about  one  foot  from  the  femur,  were  ten 


FIG.  27.— Hone  pin.  Haley  Place, 
Ark.     (Full  size.) 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON   RED   RIVER.  535 

shell  beads,  and  a  little  farther  along  was  a  mussel-shell  in  fragments,  near  which 
was  a  vessel,  badly  crushed. 

Still  farther  along  the  right-hand  wall,  continuing  toward  the  head  of  the 
grave,  were  parts  of  two  pipes  in  fragments,  lying  parallel,  the  bowls  in  the  same 
direction.  These  pipes  each  had  only  about  G  inches  of  stem,  the  other  parts  being 
missing  through  breakage  before  interment,  as  was  clearly  apparent  from  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  broken  surfaces.  It  is  probable  that  pipes  of  the  type  found  in  this 
mound,  having  bowl  and  stem  in  one  piece,  the  stems,  in  some  cases,  of  consider 
able  length,  were  not  discarded  when  parts  of  the  stems  were  broken  off,  but  were 
continued  in  use  by  the  owner  and  later  were  interred  with  him. 

BURIAL  NUMBER  4. 

The  beginning  of  the  pit  which  contained  Burial  No.  4  was  not  apparent,  though 
the  pit  evidently  had  its  commencement  well  up  in  the  mound.  Presumably  it 
started  from  the  surface  and,  in  this  event,  was  12.5  feet  in  depth,  or  one  foot  below 
the  dark,  basal  layer  of  the  mound.  This  grave-pit,  of  course,  varied  slightly  in  di 
mensions  in  its  downward  course.  At  the  bottom  where  the  burial  lay,  the  side  of 
the  pit  to  the  right  of  the  skeleton  was  7  feet  7  inches  in  length  ;  and  that  to  the  left 
was  7  feet  3  inches.  Across  the  end  of  the  pit  nearest  the  skull  the  distance  was 
4  feet  2  inches,  and  the  opposite  end  was  4  feet  9  inches. 

The  skeleton,  probably  of  a  male,  was  of  an  adult  advanced  in  years.  It  lay 
extended  on  the  back,  the  head  directed  almost  due  N.  The  face  was  turned  partly 
to  the  right.  None  of  the  bones  was  in  condition  to  save. 

At  the  skull  of  this  burial  was  a  long  bead  of  shell  similar  to  others  found  near 
skulls  in  this  mound.  Its  exact  position  in  respect  to  the  head  was  not  determined 
as  the  spade  which  came  upon  the  burial  disturbed  the  bead. 

At  each  side  of  the  skull,  at  the  ear,  was  an  ear-ornament  consisting  of  a  disk 
of  shell  to  which,  centrally  on  one  side,  a  boss  of  sheet-copper  had  been  attached. 
There  is  a  perforation  in  the  center  of  each  disk  to  allow  attachment  to  something 
(probably  of  a  perishable  nature,  since  it  was  not  found)  which  went  behind  the  lobe 
of  the  ear. 

About  one  foot  to  the  left  of  the  skull  were  eight  flint  arrowheads  whose  posi 
tion  was  somewhat  disarranged  in  removal  owing  to  the  hardness  of  the  soil  in  which 
they  lay. 

At  the  neck  had  been  pearls  perforated  as  beads,  a  few  of  which,  badly  decayed, 
were  recovered  in  company  with  fragments  of  others. 

Strangely  enough,  no  mortuary  deposits  lay  on  the  chest  or  near  the  arms  and 
hands  of  this  burial. 

At  the  outer  side  of  the  left  knee  were  four  arrowheads  of  flint. 

About  10  inches  from  the  right  knee  was  a  group  of  three  pottery  vessels,  all 
upright. 

Nine  shell  beads  were  at  the  right  ankle  and  eleven  were  at  the  left. 

Away  from  the  burial  and  near  the  wall  of  the  grave  were  various  deposits. 


536  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 

At  the  right-hand  wall,  10  inches  from  the  northern  end  (that  nearest  the  head), 
was  a  pot  standing  upright.  At  the  left-hand  wall,  one  foot  from  the  northern  end, 
approximately,  were  four  pipes  of  earthenware,  placed  vertically,  bowls  downward, 
and  intact.  These  pipes  range  in  length  between  6.5  inches  and  5.3  inches.  With 
the  pipes  were  five  flint  arrowheads,  disturbed  in  removal. 

Three  feet  six  inches  from  the  northern  end,  along  the  left  side  of  the  grave 
(in  line  with  the  pelvis  of  the  skeleton),  was  a  deposit  made  up  as  follows:  several 
pebbles  ;  fragments  of  a  bone  implement,  badly  decayed  ;  a  number  of  mussel-shells 
( Unio  anodontoidcs) ;  a  bit  of  sandstone ;  two  tines  of  deer  antler,  badly  decayed  ; 
three  arrowheads  of  rock-crystal,  rather  carelessly  made ;  nineteen  small  fragments 
of  quartz-crystal,  some  with  sharp  edges  which  could  have  been  used  for  cutting ; 
a  small  chisel  of  chipped  Hint ;  a  celt  of  quartzite,  4  inches  in  length ;  a  chisel  of 
shale,  2.4  inches  long. 

Five  feet  down  the  left  wall  of  the  pit  was  a  large  vessel  on  its  side,  containing 
two  oval  ornaments  of  shell,  each  about  one  inch  in  length  and  perforated.  Near 
this  vessel  was  a  deposit  of  four  arrowheads  of  flint.  This  vessel  was  the  outer 
limit  of  a  deposit  of  pottery  rilling  the  left  corner  of  the  base  of  the  grave,  among 
which  were  several  whole  vessels  and  a  number  of  other  vessels  crushed  into  small 
fragments,  which  were  mingled  together.  This  deposit  seemed  to  have  been  heaped 
in,  as  one  vessel  at  least  was  in  the  soil,  13  inches  above  the  base  of  the  pit. 

Also  some  distance  above  the  base  of  the  grave,  but  not  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
pottery  deposit,  were  encountered  separately  a  chisel  made  from  a  ilint  pebble,  2.4 
inches  in  length,  and  an  imperforate  object  of  shell  bordering  on  triangular,  about 
an  inch  in  length,  flat  on  one  side  and  convex  on  the  other. 

BURIAL  NUMBER  5. 

Burial  No.  5  was  a  double  interment.  A  skeleton,  measuring  5  feet  3  inches 
as  it  lay,  was  extended  on  the  back,  the  head  directed  S.  by  E.  The  skull,  some 
what  broken,  was  sent  to  the  National  Museum  and  is  pronounced  by  Doctor 
Hrdlicka  to  be  that  of  a  male. 

Immediately  under  the  thorax  of  this  skeleton  was  the  skull  of  another  skeleton, 
crushed  flat.  The  skeleton  to  which  this  skull  belonged  lay  in  part  under  the  first 
skeleton. 

The  pit  in  which  these  skeletons  lay  could  be  traced  to  within  about  4  feet 
from  the  surface  and  probably,  like  the  others  in  the  mound,  it  had  been  sunk  from 
the  summit-plateau. 

From  the  summit  of  the  mound  to  the  base  of  the  grave  the  distance  was  14 
feet  6  inches,  or  about  3  feet  below  the  dark  layer  marking  the  base  of  the  mound. 
The  head  of  the  grave  was  6  feet  6  inches  wide,  and  the  opposite  end  was  about  the 
same.  The  two  longer  sides  were  nearly  equal  in  length,  each  being  about  9  feet  6 
inches. 

In  every  case  of  a  single,  complete  burial  found  by  us  in  this  mound  the  skele 
ton  lay  about  centrally  on  the  base  of  the  grave-pit,  but  in  this  instance  the  two 
skeletons  had  been  placed  well  over  toward  the  left-hand  side  of  the  pit,  leaving 
unoccupied  a  considerable  part  of  the  grave,  which  seemingly  was  needlessly  large. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER.  537 

On  the  skull  of  the  upper  skeleton  were  fragments  of  shell.  These  could  not 
have  belonged  to  a  large  bead  of  the  kind  found  on  some  of  the  skulls  in  this  mound 
as  they  were  flat,  and  perhaps  came  from  a  mussel-shell  broken  by  decay. 

At  the  left  side  of  the  skull  was  a  shell  disk,  covering  part  of  which  on  one 
side  were  the  remains  of  a  boss  of  sheet-copper,  evidently  an  ear-ornament,  like 
others  found  at  this  place.  The  mate  to  this  ornament  was  not  discovered  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  head,  though  probably  it  had  been  there  and  had  disappeared 
through  decay,  as  the  one  found  was  in  a  very  friable  condition. 

About  15  inches  to  the  left  of  the  head  was  a  bowl,  in  the  bottom  of  which 
was  a  material  found  a  number  of  times  at  this  place  and  identified  by  Doctor  Keller 
as  being  impure  clay  with  brown  organic  matter. 

About  one  foot  to  the  left  of  the  left  shoulder  was  a  bottle,  badly  broken  but 
in  part  held  together  by  the  material  in  which  it  lay.  Leaning  against  the  lower 
part  of  this  vessel  was  a  fresh-water  shell  (Unto  plicatus),  centrally  perforated  for 
the  insertion  of  a  handle — a  hoe. 

At  the  right  elbow  was  a  bottle,  crushed,  as  was  nearly  all  the  pottery  with  this 
burial.  Near  it  was  a  minute  fragment  of  sheet-copper.  At  the  left  wrist  were  two 
shell  beads  and  parts  of  a  badly  decayed  bone  implement.  The  beads,  which  were 
of  different  sizes,  were  much  affected  by  decay,  and  presumably  other  beads  origin 
ally  present  with  those  found  had  disappeared. 

At  the  right  thigh  lay  fragments  of  an  earthenware  vessel,  and  beside  the  right 
ankle  were  small  pebbles,  evidently  all  that  remained  of  a  rattle.  At  the  feet  was 
a  mass  of  gray  material — impure  clay. 

In  the  right  upper  corner  lay  a  large  deposit  of  pottery — perhaps  a  dozen  ves 
sels,  though  this  is  hardly  more  than  a  guess — lying  crushed  into  fragments  in  the 
hard  clay.     Vessels  had  been  placed  side  by  side  and  when  crushed  their  parts  had 
mingled.     Examination  of  some  of  the  larger  fragments  showed  the  vessels  to  be 
A  without  decoration  or,  when  possessing  it,  to  have  as  a  rule  only  a  few 

A  rude,  encircling  lines  around  the  upper  parts.     Three  bottles  unusually 

^L          large  were  in  the  deposit.     The  remains  of  these,  crushed  into  many 
4^H       scores  of  fragments  and  almost  inextricably  mingled,  were  preserved 
M    •       by  us,  but  have  not  been  put  together  as  they  are  practically  without 
M     B      decoration  and  present  no  novelty  in  form.1     Much  smaller  vessels, 
fl  incidentally  it  may  be  said,  when  thus  broken  and  mingled,  require 

l|H    M     many  days  of  careful  work  to  restore.     With  these  vessels  had  been 

one  containing  impure  clay  with  brown  organic  matter. 

^^F  The  pottery  in  this  grave,  which  presumably  was  placed  there  for 

FIG.  28.— Arrow-  the  burials  in  common,  included  a  large  cooking  vessel  which  contained 

head  of  flint.  Ha-  ,         3      e  a-    j    /TT        r>o\ 

ley  Place,  Ark.  an  arrowhead  01  Hint  (rig.  28). 

Above  this  pottery  deposit,  in  the  clay,  together,  were  two  flat 
objects  of  shell  of  elliptical  outline  and  a  triangular  section  of  shell,  with  rounded 
apex,  each  about  2  inches  in  length.  These  objects  are  of  the  class  which  we  have 

1  A  bottle  similar  to  these,  17.7  inches  in  height,  is  described  in  connection  with  Burial  No.  2. 
68  JOURX.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


538  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 

described  as  probably  being  ornaments  formerly  attached  to  other  objects  that 
have  disappeared. 

To  the  right  of  the  lower  part  of  the  burial,  but  not  immediately  with  it,  was 
a  shell  drinking-cup  having  a  perforation  through  the  beak  and  another  near  the 
opening,  between  the  shoulder  and  the  suture.  Unfortunately,  immediately  across 
the  opening  of  the  cup,  where  a  third  perforation  probably  was,  the  shell  has  been 
broken  by  a  blow  of  a  pick.  By  the  aid  of  three  holes  placed  as  described,  the 
cup  could  hang  horizontally.  This  cup,  the  usual  Fulgur  perversum,  like  others 
found  in  this  mound,  is  neatly  smoothed  as  to  the  outer  surface,  but  bears  no  en 
graved  decoration.  Immediately  beyond  this  shell  lay  an  earthenware  vessel  in 
fragments. 

In  the  right-hand  lower  corner  of  the  grave,  13  inches  above  its  base,  however, 
lay  a  celt  of  silicious  rock,  5  inches  in  length. 

BURIAL  NUMBER  0. 

The  pit  in  which  Burial  No.  6  lay  was  distinguishable  downward  from  about 
2  feet  o  inches  below  the  surface,  where  it  was  lost  in  the  moist  ground.  The 
grave,  13  feet  below  the  summit-plateau,  measured,  where  the  burial  lay,  6  feet  8 
inches  and  7  feet  2  inches  as  to  the  sides,  and  4  feet  6  inches  and  4  feet  9  inches  as 
to  the  ends. 

The  skeleton,  that  of  an  adult  and  probably  of  a  male,  lay  at  full  length  on 
the  back,  the  head  pointing  SE.  The  skull  was  badly  crushed,  and  the  other  bones 
were  in  equally  poor  condition. 

Near  the  right  knee  were  five  pipes — or  at  least  five  bowls  and  stems  or  parts 
of  sterns — in  fragments.  The  stems  of  the  pipes  lay  along  the  thigh,  the  bowls 


FIG.  29.— Arrowheads  of  flint.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Full  sine.) 

being  toward  the  knee.  These  pipes  formed  the  lower  limit  of  a  group  of  objects 
which  continued  in  line  up  along  the  thigh  in  the  following  order :  a  kitchen  pot ; 
a  bottle ;  a  kitchen  vessel.  These  vessels  were  crushed  to  bits,  as  were  all  from 
this  grave,  with  one  exception. 

About  one  foot  to  the  left  of  the  middle  of  the  left  thigh,  together,  were  four 
flint  arrowheads  of  interesting  shape  (Fig.  29),  and  near  these  was  a  shell  object,  flat, 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


539 


elliptical  in  outline,  and  about  .75  inch  in  length,  belonging  to  the  class  of  objects 
we  have  described  as  probably  being  fastened  to  other  objects  worn  as  ornaments. 

At  the  right  wrist  were  thirteen  discoidal 
beads  of  shell,  each  about  .25  inch  in  diameter. 

At  the  right  humerus  was  a  bottle,  crushed, 
and  another  at  the  right  shoulder. 

At  each  side  of  the  neck  was  an  imitation 
in  shell  of  a  canine  tooth  of  a  carnivore,  2.25 
inches  in  length,  perforated  for  suspension. 

One  foot  from  the  skull  lay  a  mussel-shell 
in  fragments. 

In  the  left-hand  upper  corner  of  the  grave 
was  a  pipe  placed  vertically.  This  pipe  was 
struck  several  times  by  the  spade  of  a  digger 
who  had  been  instructed  to  remove  soil  above 
where  the  troweling  was  in  progress  and  who 
carried  his  work  too  near  the  plane  on  which 
mortuary  objects  were.  It  is  possible  that 
other  pipes  with  this  one  were  crushed  and 
thrown  back  by  the  digger,  as  groups  of  pipes 
placed  vertically  were  found  at  several  points 
in  this  mound. 

A  little  farther  down  the  left  wall  was  a 
mass  of  red  pigment,  determined  by  Doctor 
Keller  to  be  red  oxide  of  iron  with  some  lime, 
and  a  flat  celt  of  quartzite,  5.5  inches  in  length. 
The  pigment  and  the  celt  lay  abreast  of  the 
left  shoulder. 

Farther  down  the  left-hand  side  was  a 
ceremonial  axe  of  slate,  7.5  inches  in  length 
(Fig.  30),  with  a  handsome,  flaring,  cutting 
edge  at  one  end  and  a  cutting  edge  also  at 
the  opposite  end,  which  marks  the  specimen 
as  a  variant  (shown  in  section  in  Fig.  31). 
The  mark  of  the  handle  is  plainly  visible,  and 
shows  that  the  ends  of  the  axe  projected  before 
and  behind.  This  axe  had  been  placed  up 
right  against  the  wall,  and  was  on  a  plane 
somewhat  above  the  base  of  the  grave. 

In  a  group  of  which  the  axe  formed  part 
were  three  vessels,  across  the  opening  of  one  of 

FIO.  ao.-c.remo,,i.u».  FIG.  Si.-Ceremoniai  which  lay  aceltof  basanite,  4  incheslong.  This 
Haley^7.5einchkes.)  S.^ffiSidS""*  hatchet  had  been  smeared  with  glauconite. 


540  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 

Twenty-two  inches  from  the  lower  end  of  the  left-hand  wall  was  a  cooking-pot 
and  a  broken  mussel-shell  which  probably,  when  whole,  had  served  as  a  spoon. 

In  the  left-hand  lower  corner  was  a  mass  of  material  identified  by  Doctor  Keller 
as  impure  clay  with  brown  organic  matter,  on  which  were  two  small,  imperforate, 
flat,  semicircular  objects  of  shell,  and  a  little  beyond,  a  diamond-shaped  object  of 
shell,  about  1.5  inch  in  length,  having  a  perforation. 

A  bowl  had  been  placed  in  an  erect  position  in  the  right-hand  lower  corner  of 
the  grave,  and  a  little  farther  along  the  right-hand  wall  was  a  mass  of  material 
similar  to  the  one  described,  lying  alongside  of  a  bowl. 

BURIAL  NUMBER  7. 

The  pit  containing  this  burial,  like  others  in  the  mound,  could  be  traced  into 
the  upper  few  feet.  It  extended  through  the  dark  basal  layer  below  to  a  total  depth 
of  15.5  feet,  if  we  assume  that  it  commenced  at  the  surface  of  the  summit-plateau. 

The  upper  and  lower  ends  of  the  grave  were  4.5  feet  and  4  feet  1  inch,  respect 
ively.  The  grave,  however,  widened  somewhat  in  the  middle,  where  it  was  about 
5  feet  across.  The  right-hand  side  of  the  grave  was  7  feet  7  inches  in  length,  and 
the  opposite  side,  7  feet  10  inches. 

Burial  No.  7  was  the  skeleton  of  a  powerfully  built  adult  in  the  prime  of  life, 
doubtless  a  male.  The  skeleton  lay  at  full  length  on  the  back,  the  head  directed 
S.  by  E.  The  skull  was  crushed  and  the  other  bones  were  in  friable  fragments. 

At  the  left  of  the  skull,  one  upon  the  other,  were  remnants  of  two  shell  disks, 
one  having  two  perforations  near  the  upper  margin,  the  other  having  lost  through 
decay  the  corresponding  part  where  perforations  might  be  expected.  There  were 
no  objects  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  head.  As  these  disks  are  not  perforated 
centrally,  they  can  hardly  have  been  ear-ornaments. 

At  the  neck  were  fifteen  pearls,  some  nearly  .5  inch  in  diameter  and  all  large. 
With  these,  about  3  inches  apart,  were  two  imitations  in  shell  of  canine  teeth  of 
large  carnivores,  each  about  3  inches  in  length,  perforated  for  suspension.  These 
ornaments  were  on  the  upper  part  of  the  thorax  and  probably  were  pendants  at 
each  side  of  the  string  of  pearls. 

At  the  right  wrist  were  seven  beads  of  shell,  each  about  one  inch  in  diameter. 

Parallel  with  the  upper  part  of  the  right  thigh,  at  the  right  side  of  the  pelvis, 
and  over  the  right  hand,  lay  a  quartz  crystal  about  8.5  inches  in  length  and  2.25 
inches  in  diameter.  Near  this  was  a  small  disk  of  shell,  covering  part  of  one  side 
of  which  is  a  boss  of  wood,  much  decayed.  The  shell  below  the  wood  has  a  green 
stain  as  through  infiltration  of  carbonate  of  copper. 

At  the  outer  side  of  the  right  femur,  just  above  the  knee,  was  a  vessel  in  frag 
ments,  and  near  it  were  two  curious  little  objects  of  shell,  one  about  an  inch  in 
length,  the  other  somewhat  smaller,  resembling  flat  pins  with  circular  heads.  With 
these,  and  probably  having  belonged  on  the  head  of  one  of  them,  was  a  minute  boss 
of  sheet-copper. 

At  the  right  knee  was  a  neat  little  chisel  wrought  from  a  pebble  of  flint  and, 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


541 


near  it,  two  imperforate  disks  of  shell,  each  about  1.2-1  inch  in  diameter,  lying  one 
upon  the  other.  Four  slender  arrowheads  of  flint,  the  points  all  directed  the  same 
way,  lay  in  a  little  pile  at  the  outer  side  of  the  left  tibia,  just  below  the  knee. 

At  the  right  and  at  the  left  ankles  were  shell  beads,  each  about  one  inch  in 
diameter,  ten  at  each  ankle. 

At  the  head-wall  of  the  grave,  one  foot  from  the  left-hand  corner,  lay  a  cook 
ing  vessel  in  fragments,  and  about  two  feet  farther  along  and  one  foot  from  the  wall 
was  an  earthenware  pipe  (Fig.  32),  the  only  one  of  earthenware  found  in  the  mound 
differing  in  general  shape  from  the  pipes  so  abundantly  met  with  in  it. 


FIG.  3d. — Pipe  of  earthenware.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Length  6  inches.) 

Along  the  right  wall,  beginning  about  one  foot  from  the  upper  corner,  was  a 
considerable  deposit  of  objects.  First  came  sixteen  flint  arrowheads,  three  of  which 
were  disturbed  in  removal.  The  points  of  the  remaining  thirteen  were  in  the  same 
direction.  A  selection  from  these  is  shown  in  Fig.  33. 

Next  came  a  deposit  of  four  arrowheads,  disturbed  in  removal;  then  three 
pottery  vessels,  crushed  to  fragments,  one  of  which  had  been  additionally  wrecked 
by  the  deposit  above  it  of  two  large  sandstone  hones,  deeply  grooved. 

Next  in  order  lay  a  shell  drinking-cup  wrought  from  a  conch  (Fulgnr  perver- 
sum],  neatly  smoothed  on  the  exterior  surface,  but  differing  from  other  shell  cups 
found  in  this  mound  in  that  the  protuberances  which  are  present  around  the  peri 
phery,  or  shoulder  of  the  conch,  in  this  instance  have  not  been  ground  away. 

Near  the  cup  lay  two  imperforate,  elliptical  objects  of  shell,  each  2  inches  by 
1.65  inch.  Curiously  enough  these  objects  show  not  the  slightest  trace  of  decay, 
though  coming  from  a  grave  in  which  a  number  of  other  objects  of  shell  were  greatly 
deteriorated. 

Next,  side  by  side,  were  masses  of  bright  red  pigment  and  of  what  no  doubt 
was  used  as  a  blue-black  paint.  These  have  been  determined  by  Doctor  Keller  to 
be  respectively  oxide  of  iron,  soft  and  uniform,  and  oxide  of  manganese  (psilome- 
lane),  impure.  With  these  was  just  a  trace  of  decaying  sheet-copper. 


542 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


In  one  of  the  vessels  of  this  deposit  was  a  quantity  of  the  material  found  in 
many  vessels  in  the  mound,  consisting  of  impure  clay  mixed  with  brown  organic 
matter. 

Above  all  this  deposit,  and  elsewhere  throughout  this  grave,  usually  somewhat 
above  other  objects,  were  small  ornaments  of  shell — disks,  triangles  (sometimes 
with  rounded  apices)  and  oblong  sections,  and  objects  of  elliptical  outline.  These 
ornaments  are  almost  without  exception  imperforate,  though  two  small  disks  have 
central  holes  and  several  of  the  other  ornaments  have  on  them  traces  of  bitumen, 
showing  how  they  were  fastened  to  other  things  of  a  perishable  character,  to  which 
they  belonged.  It  is  possible  that  the  small,  fiat,  circular  or  elliptical  objects  of 
shell  (which  usually  were  found  in  pairs)  may  have  served  as  eyes  in  masks  of 
wood. 

Five  inches  to  the  right  of  the  right  tibia  and  continuing  to  the  wall  on  the 
right-hand  side,  where  it  extended  down  to  the  lower  corner,  was  a  deposit  made 


Fl«.  33.— Arrowheads  of  fliut.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Full  size.) 

up  of  a  number  of  bones,  badly  decayed,  evidently  intended  for  the  manufacture  of 
piercing  implements.     With  these  lay  a  slender  spearhead  of  flint,  the  point  un 
fortunately  missing,  5.75  inches  in  present  length.     A  mussel-shell,  badly  broken, 
and  five  vessels,  one  of  which  was  recovered  almost  entire,  completed  the  deposit. 
About  midway  along  the  left  wall  was  a  deposit  containing  several  pottery  ves- 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON   RED   RIVER.  543 

sels,  badly  crushed,  the  fragments  mingled.  One  of  these  vessels  had  contained 
another  one,  and  in  the  inner  vessel  had  been  placed  :  a  celt  of  porphyry,  6.5  inches 
long;  a  sandstone  hone;  two  Hint  pebbles,  one  about  the  size  and  shape  of  a  man's 
finger  slightly  bent;  seven  bone  implements  with  rounded  points,  all  badly  decayed  ; 
a  tine  of  deer  antler. 

In  the  soil  a  little  above  the  base  of  the  grave  was  the  bowl  of  a  pipe  and  a 
small  part  of  the  stem  belonging  to  it,  perhaps  an  accidental  deposit. 

BURIAL  NUMBER  8. 

Burial  No.  8  lay  at  a  depth  of  8  feet  5  inches  from  the  surface.  The  head 
end  of  the  grave  was  4  feet  10  inches  across,  and  the  foot-end,  5  feet  2  inches.  The 
right  and  left  sides  were  respectively  7  feet  2  inches  and  6  feet  9  inches  in  length. 

The  skeleton,  that  of  an  adult  in  the  middle  period  of  life,  lay  with  the  skull 
directed  S.  by  E.  Though  badly  crushed,  the  cranium  showed  little  evidence  of 
decay,  the  lower  jaw  being  in  excellent  condition.  Curiously  enough,  when  we 
consider  the  state  of  the  skull,  the  rest  of  the  skeleton  was  badly  decayed.  No 
bones  were  present  down  to  the  pelvis  with  the  exception  of  distal  parts  of  the  fore 
arms,  which  perhaps,  owed  their  preservation  to  the  presence  of  shell  beads  and  the 
consequent  reinforcing  infiltration  of  lime.  The  presence  of  the  skeleton  at  the 
pelvis  and  below  could  be  traced  only  by  decaying  fragments. 

On  top  of  the  skull  and  across  it,  in  a  flat  band,  were  many  small  marine  shells 
(Olivella  mutica],  perforated  for  stringing.  Doubtless  these  had  formed  a  head 
dress  of  some  kind. 

At  the  right  of  the  head  were  two  disks  of  shell,  similar  to  those  described  as 
found  with  Burial  No.  7.  With  the  disks  with  this  burial  were  a  few  very  small 
shell  beads  and  two  small  objects  of  shell,  which  perhaps  were  fastened  to  the  disk 
to  form  some  kind  of  ornament. 

At  the  right  forearm  was  a  badly-crushed  vessel. 

Twenty-one  and  nineteen  shell  beads  were  at  the  right  and  left  wrists 
respectively. 

Along  the  head-wall,  about  3  feet  from  the  left-hand  corner,  lay  a  vessel  in 
fragments,  and  a  short  distance  farther  was  a  shell  drinking-cup,  badly  decayed. 

Along  the  left  wall,  2  feet  from  the  left  upper  corner,  was  a  mass  of  gray 
material,  largely  clay,  and  about  one  foot  farther  along  was  a  bottle  in  many 
fragments. 

Along  the  right  wall,  2  feet  from  the  right-hand  upper  corner,  was  a  kitchen 
vessel  badly  broken,  though  held  in  shape  by  the  soil.  In  this  vessel,  placed  ver 
tically,  the  bowl  down,  was  a  pipe  of  earthenware,  having  a  part  of  the  stem  and 
the  mouth-piece  missing,  from  a  break  previous  to  the  time  of  interment. 

Slightly  more  than  four  feet  from  the  right  upper  corner  of  the  grave  there 
began,  along  the  right  wall,  a  deposit  of  pottery  including  at  least  nine  vessels,  two 
of  which  are  entire  and  are  the  only  ones  so  found  with  this  burial.  This  deposit 
of  vessels  extended  to  the  right-hand  lower  corner. 


544  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 

No  further  burials  were  found  in  the  body  of  this  mound,  though  our  explora 
tory  excavations  radiating  from  the  main,  central  one  practically  covered  that  part 
of  the  mound  which  lay  beneath  the  summit-plateau. 

BURIAL  NUMBER  9  (THE  GREAT  PIT). 

Numerous  references  have  been  made  to  a  dark  layer  of  soil  about  11  feet  below 
the  summit-plateau  of  the  mound,  which  we  believed  to  mark  the  original  surface 
of  the  ground  on  which  the  mound  was  built.  When  in  the  course  of  our  main  ex 
cavation  this  layer  of  soil  was  reached,  it  was  noticed  that  about  centrally  in  it  (and 
consequently  nearly  centrally  in  the  base  of  the  mound  also)  this  layer  had  been 
cut  through,  thus  denoting  the  presence  of  a  pit.  As  small  local  layers  in  the  mound 
but  short  distances  above  this  disturbance  of  the  basal  layer  were  intact,  it  was  evi 
dent  that  a  pit  had  been  dug  from  the  surface  of  the  ground  before  the  mound  was 
built,  and  as  no  thin,  dark  layer  denoting  either  use  as  a  dwelling-site  or  decay  of 
vegetable  matter,  as  the  case  might  be,  lay  above  the  upper  surface  of  the  pit,  it  is 
fair  to  assume  that  the  mound,  or  a  part  of  it,  was  reared  soon  after  the  filling  of 
the  pit. 

The  pit  was  nearly  oblong,  the  long  diameter  being  NNW.  and  SSE.  The 
two  sides  were  8  feet  and  8  feet  8  inches  in  length  respectively  ;  the  ends  each  about 
6  feet  across.  Through  the  upper  part  of  the  pit  its  outline  was  clearly  defined. 

After  our  digging  in  the  pit  had  been  continued  from  the  level  of  the  upper 
surface  of  the  dark  basal  layer  to  a  depth  of  5  feet  7  inches,  through  mixed  ma 
terial  filling  the  grave,  which  material,  for  a  distance  down,  was  surrounded  by  the 
red  clay  already  described,  we  reached  sand  with  a  slight  admixture  of  clay,  giving 
but  little  indication  of  previous  disturbance.  However,  close  examination  showed 
here  and  there  small  masses  of  clay,  and  at  a  depth  of  7  feet  8  inches  part  of  the 
lower  jaw  of  a  deer  was  found,  showing  conclusively  that  we  were  not  in  undisturbed, 
underlying  soil.  In  this  part  of  the  pit  its  outline  was  rather  indefinite  as  the  red 
clay  which  surrounded  the  upper  part  of  the  pit  had  given  place  to  sand. 

At  a  depth  of  12  feet  below  the  level  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  basal  layer  a 
human  skeleton  was  encountered.  The  skeleton,  that  of  an  aged  male,1  lay  at  full 
length  on  the  back,  the  head  directed  toward  SSE.  The  burial,  of  which  the 
cranium  and  a  few  other  bones  were  saved  in  fairly  good  condition,  rested  on  a 
dark  layer  about  one  inch  in  thickness,  which  clearly  marked  the  bottom  of  the  pit. 
This  layer  presumably  owed  its  color  to  the  decay  of  perishable  material  which  had 
been  placed  upon  the  base  of  the  pit  at  the  time  of  the  burial — skins,  feather-work, 
wood,  matting,  various  other  fabrics,  any  or  all.  In  two  places  on  the  base  of  the 
pit  where  deposits  of  objects  were  found,  this  layer  of  discolored  soil  extended  up 
ward  a  short  distance  against  the  sides  of  the  grave  as  if  some  perishable  objects 
placed  on  the  remaining  deposit  had  decayed  there. 

The  objects  found  with  this  burial  were  fairly  numerous.  Near  the  feet  was 
an  undecorated  pot  of  good,  polished,  black  ware,  of  about  two  quarts  capacity. 

1  See  description  of  this  skeleton,  by  Dr.  Ales  Hrdlicka,  at  the  close  of  this  report. 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER.  545 

In  the  corner  adjacent  to  the  left  foot  and  extending  along  the  side  was  a 
deposit  of  pottery,  badly  crushed  and  mingled,  in  which  could  be  distinguished  the 
remains  of  a  large,  black  bottle  which  had  stood  upright  in  a  red  pot  with  conspicu 
ous  handles,  shown  in  Plate  XLI.  In  one  of  the  vessels  was  a  mass  of  yellow 
material  that  evidently  had  been  used  as  a  pigment  and  which  Doctor  Keller  has 
determined  to  be  impure,  ferruginous  clay. 

Under  this  pottery  deposit  lay  a  small  heap  consisting  of  ten  arrowheads  of 
Hint  of  various  colors,  all  barbed  and  all  pointing  in  the  same  direction. 

About  2  feet  from  the  outside  of  the  left  knee  of  the  skeleton,  immediately  in 
the  pottery  deposit  under  description,  which  extended  along  the  left  side  of  the 
grave,  was  a  pipe.  This  pipe,  of  limestone,  3.25  inches  in  length,  is  an  effigy  of  a 
human  figure  on  all  fours,  to  use  a  homely  expression.  The  legs  are  clearly  shown 
in  relief,  while  the  arms,  undefined,  merge  into  a  single  support.  The  most  remark 
able  feature  of  this  pipe,  and  one  which  none  of  a  number  of  experts  consulted  on 
the  subject  has  been  able  definitely  to  explain,  is  that  a  third  leg  in  relief,  but  much 
smaller  than  is  each  of  the  other  two,  is  seen  in  the  rear  of  the  figure,  just  below 
the  orifice  made  for  the  reception  of  the  stem. 

From  appearances  one  might  be  led  to  believe  that  a  representation  of  child 
birth  with  prolapse  of  a  leg  was  intended.  If,  however,  such  was  the  case,  either 
the  incised  lines  which  the  small  leg  has  on  the  ankle,  in  common  with  the  larger 
ones,  were  intended  simply  to  define  the  ankle,  or  else  the  aboriginal  artist,  per 
haps  in  a  desire  to  enhance  the  ornamental  effect,  put  beads  upon  the  leg  of  the 
child,  as  well  as  upon  those  of  the  adult,  ignoring  or  not  considering  the  natural 
requirements  of  the  case. 

This  interesting  pipe  is  shown  in  three  positions  in  Figs.  34,  35,  30. 

Carbonized  material  in  the  bowl  proves  the  pipe  to  have  been  in  use.  On  the 
base  of  the  pipe  has  been  incised,  with  a  fine  point,  a  design  of  some  kind,  perhaps 
a  rude  representation  of  a  human  figure,  but,  apparently  through  wear,  the  figure 
is  too  faint  to  determine  with  exactitude. 

On  the  left  side  of  the  pit,  4  inches  beyond  where  the  pottery  deposit  ended, 
was  a  pile  of  sixteen  arrowheads,  all  but  one  having  the  points  directed  down  the 
left  side  of  the  grave.  These  arrowheads,  all  barbed,  are  of  Hint  of  various  colors ; 
some  had  been  deposited  with  parts  missing  through  breakage. 

At  both  ankles  were  barrel-shaped  beads  of  shell,  each  about  one  inch  in 
length  :  eighteen  at  the  right  ankle,  nineteen  at  the  left  ankle. 

Two  shell  beads  came  from  the  left  knee. 

At  the  outer  side  of  the  upper  part  of  the  right  femur  lay  a  quartz  crystal  7 
inches  in  length,  the  point  directed  toward  the  knee  of  the  skeleton.  Beautiful 
crystals  of  quartz  are  numerous  in  the  region  near  the  Hot  Springs,  Ark. 

Also  near  the  right  thigh  were  the  fragments  of  what  had  been  a  large  cooking 
pot  of  earthenware. 

Near  the  middle  of  the  left  thigh  were  six  arrowheads  of  flint  of  different  colors, 
all  barbed,  one  serrated.  These  projectile  points  were  disturbed  in  removal  so  that 
their  original  position  in  the  grave  is  not  known. 

69  JOURN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


546 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    EED   RIVER. 


Fid.  .'!!. — 1'ipe  of  limestone,  side  view.      Haley  Place,  Ark. 
(Length  3.25  inches.) 


FIG.  35. — Pipe  of  limestone,  front  view. 


FIG.  3b'. — Pipe  of  limestone,  rear  view. 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON   RED   RIVER.  547 

Eight  inches  to  the  left  of  the  upper  part  of  the  left  femur  began  a  deposit  con 
sisting  of  two  pottery  pipes,  similar  to  those  found  in  the  mound  proper,  extending 
parallel — or  rather  parts  of  two  pipes,  as  the  full  complement  of  fragments  was  not 
present.  This  deposit  was  removed  carefully  with  a  trowel,  so  there  seems  to  be 
no  chance  that  any  parts  were  lost  at  the  time  of  the  investigation. 

Near  the  right  hand  were  the  fragments  of  a  small  vessel  of  pottery,  and  at 
the  right  wrist  were  two  minute  shell  disks  with  remains  of  copper  bosses  centrally 
placed  upon  them. 

The  right  humerus  bore  the  green  stain  of  carbonate  of  copper,  marking  the 
former  presence  of  the  metal  there. 

At  the  right  shoulder  lay  a  shell  drinking-cup,  carefully  smoothed  as  to  the 
exterior  surface,  but  without  engraved  decoration. 

Over  the  left  elbow  lay  a  fresh-water  mussel-shell  ( L'nw),  badly  decayed. 

At  the  left  shoulder,  the  Hat  surfaces  parallel,  were  two  imperforate,  undeco- 
rated,  shell  disks,  each  about  1.5  inch  in  diameter,  and  seven  rudely-elliptical  sec 
tions  of  shell,  each  1.25  inch  by  .4  inch,  approximately. 

Along  the  left  wall  of  the  grave  (at  the  risk  of  repetition  we  would  remind  the 
reader  that  it  was  that  part  of  the  grave  to  the  left  of  the  skeleton  as  it  lay)  was  a 
deposit  of  fifteen  arrowpoints,  slender,  like  nearly  all  from  the  mound,  the  maxi 
mum  1.5  inch  in  length,  eight  of  Hint,  seven  of  rock-crystal.  A  number  of  the  pro 
jectile  points  in  this  deposit  were  rudely  made  and  several  were  imperfect.  With 
this  deposit  was  a  bone  determined  by  Prof.  F.  A.  Lucas  to  have  belonged  to  a 
collared  peccary  (Tayassu  angulatum},  an  animal  now  extinct  in  Arkansas. 

At  the  neck  were  forty-eight  pearls  perforated  for  stringing. 

At  each  side  of  the  skull,  at  the  ears,  was  a  shell  disk,  1.75  inch  in  diameter, 
having  a  boss  of  sheet-copper,  centrally  placed  upon  it  (Fig.  37).  Each  disk  has  a 


FIG.  37.— Ear-plugs  of  shell,  with  wooden  bosses  formerly  coated  with  sheet-copper. 
Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Full  size.) 

central  perforation  to  allow  of  attachment  to  some  object  to  be  placed  behind  the 
lobe  of  the  ear,  in  this  case  made  of  perishable  material. 

Transversely  on  top  of  the  skull  was  a  shell  bead,  3  inches  in  length,  similar 
to  two  found  on  burials  in  the  mound  proper. 

Eighteen  inches  to  the  right  of  the  skull  a  group  of  earthenware  vessels  had 
been  placed,  two  of  which,  small,  undecorated  pots,  were  intact,  the  remaining  ves- 


548  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 

sels  being  badly  crushed.  With  this  deposit  was  a  mass  of  purple  pigment,  about 
the  size  of  a  cocoanut,  which  Doctor  Keller  has  proved  to  be  oxide  of  iron  that  had 
been  subjected  to  heat,  thus  changing  it  from  the  original  red.  Presumably  this 
change  was  wrought  intentionally  and  not  through  accident,  as  we  have  explained 
in  connection  with  similar  material  found  with  Burial  No.  2.  Nothing  else  with 
the  burial  had  been  exposed  to  fire. 

About  one  foot  beyond  the  skull,  toward  the  head  of  the  grave,  was  a  banner- 
stone  of  the  "  butterfly  "  pattern,  made  from  rock-crystal.  One  wing  has  been 
broken  in  former  times  and  the  area  of  fracture  carefully  smoothed  to  allow  the 

continued  use  of  the  ornament  (Fig.  38). 

It  is  interesting  to  note  in  this  connec 
tion  that  we  found  in  a  mound  at  Thorn- 
hill  Lake,  Volusia  County,  Florida,  two 
pendent  ornaments,  each  made  from  the 
wing  of  a  banner-stone.1  Our  late  friend, 
Andrew  E.  Douglass,  Esq.,  first  called  our 
attention  to  the  origin  of  these  ornaments 
and  informed  us  he  had  found  a  similar 
one  in  a  mound  on  Tomoka  Creek,  about 
thirty-six  miles  north  of  Thornhill  Lake. 
With  this  ornament  and  extending 
18  inches  above  the  level  of  the  head  of  the 

FIG.  38.— Part  of  banner-stone  of  crystal.  rrrnvp    wfl«    n     ornnn    nf    nhipot«    n«    fnllnwa  • 

Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Full  size.)  grave    Was    a    group    '         3DJCCIS    as  IO\\  S  . 

two  quartz  crystals,  each  about  3.5  inches 

in  length  ;  a  mussel-shell  ( Unto  purpuratus] ;  a  small  amount  of  red  pigment ; 
a  pebble ;  a  bone  piercing  implement,  badly  decayed  ;  remnants  of  a  rattle  of  shell 
(tortoise  or  turtle)  with  numerous  pebbles  still  adhering,  and  one  part  pierced, 
probably  for  suspension  ;  two  alligator  teeth,  each  about  3  inches  in  length  and  each 
pierced  at  the  proximal  end  to  serve  as  a  pendant. 

In  the  upper  left-hand  corner  of  the  grave  was  a  deposit  of  pipes  of  earthen 
ware,  of  the  kind  of  which  so  many  were  found  in  the  body  of  the  mound.  These 
pipes,  four  in  number,  were  all  somewhat  broken,  one  being  badly  crushed.  Two 
of  the  pipes  had  been  interred  without  the  proximal  ends  of  the  pottery  stems. 
With  this  deposit  of  pipes  were  :  a  celt  of  quartzite,  5  inches  in  length ;  a  small 
chisel ;  an  arrowhead  of  flint;  a  bone  implement,  very  badly  decayed. 

Near  this  deposit,  but  farther  down  the  left  side  of  the  grave,  were  three 
earthenware  pipes  together,  placed  vertically,  the  bowls  downward.  One,  6  inches 
in  length,  has  all  parts  present,  but  the  proximal  ends  of  the  other  two  are  missing. 
This  deposit,  like  all  objects  in  this  grave,  was  carefully  removed  with  a  trowel  so 
that  the  chance  of  loss  of  any  parts  of  the  pipes  in  removal  may  be  regarded  as 
negligible. 

The  pottery  vessels  from  this  grave  were   disappointing.     One  might  fairly 

1  "Certain  Sand  Mounds  of  the  St.  Johns  River,  Florida,"  Part  II,  pp.  168,  170. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


549 


assume  that  the  personage  honored  by  the  erection  of  this  mound  (and  there  seems 
little  reason  to  doubt  that  such  was  the  intention  of  the  builders)  would  have  been 
favored  with  the  best  earthenware  the  place  afforded,  but  the  vessels  deposited 
with  this  burial  were  mainly  of  the  kitchen  variety,  while  nearly  all  the  rest 
were  without  striking  decoration. 

We  here  close  the  account  of  the  individual  burials. 

As  stated,  but  one  kind  of  pipe  of  earthenware  (with  a  single  exception)  was 
found  at  the  Haley  Place,  though,  as  we  have  seen,  a  considerable  number  of  pipes 
were  unearthed  there. 

The  pipes  in  question,  with  bowl  and  stem  of  one  piece  and  ranging  in  length 
between  5.5  and  '22.6  inches,  have  bowls  resembling  inverted,  truncated  cones  placed 
on  the  stems  (which  are  circular  in  transverse  section),  some  distance  from  the 
terminations  of  the  stems,  which  extend  beyond  the  bowls.  These  projecting  parts 
are  invariably  hollow  and  would  serve  as  receptacles  for  undesirable  liquid  material 
derived  from  the  smoking  of  tobacco  or  other  plants,  though  we  have  no  knowl 
edge  that  the  ends  were  made  hollow  for  that  purpose. 


FIG.  39.— Pipes  of  earthenware.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (The  two  upper  ones  are  full  size;  the  lower  one  is  9.3  inches 

in  length.) 

These  projecting  parts,  which  probably  bring  the  pipes  within  the  class  known 
as  "monitor,"  terminate  in  three  ways:  in  points;  in  blunt  points;  or  flat,  the 
end  having  little  or  no  diminution  in  the  diameter  of  the  stem,  as  shown  in  Fig.  39. 

The  ends  of  the  stems  destined  for  the  mouth  are  not  diminished  in  diameter 


550  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 

in  any  way,  but  their  annular  margins  are  neatly  rounded  when  the  pipe  is  com 
plete.  As  we  have  noted,  however,  some  pipes  were  found  having  instead  of  a 
smoothed  end  for  the  mouth,  a  rough,  broken  surface.  Such  pipes  were  sometimes 
found  apart  from  any  fragments,  and,  as  we  have  already  had  occasion  to  point  out 
in  this  report,  it  is  evident  that  the  aborigines  who  formerly  inhabited  the  Haley 
Place  site,  continued  the  use  of  pipes  after  parts  of  the  stems  had  been  broken  off. 
As  we  all  know,  the  same  thing  is  sometimes  done  under  like  circumstances  at  the 
present  time. 

In  a  number  of  cases,  pipes  from  the  Haley  Place,  from  which  parts  of  the  stems 
have  been  broken,  show  more  or  less  careful  chipping  around  the  margins  of  the 
breaks,  doubtless  to  make  the  broken  surfaces  more  convenient  for  further  service. 

Many  of  the  bowls  of  these  pipes  from  the  Haley  Place  contain  coatings  of 
carbonized  material,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  a  considerable  number  evidently 
never  have  been  used. 

We  believe  this  form  of  pipe  to  be  new  in  connection  with  the  aborigines.  At 
all  events  an  aboriginal  pipe  of  earthenware,  all  of  one  piece,  nearly  23  inches  in 
length,  is  something  unheard  of  before. 

We  are  unable  to  give  the  number  of  vessels  represented  by  the  masses  of 
fragmentary  and  mingled  sherds  found  during  our  investigation  of  this  interesting 
mound,  or  even  to  form  an  estimate  which  would  in  any  way  approach  the  exact 
number.  As  we  have  seen,  the  vessels  in  most  instances  had  been  placed  in  de 
posits  together,  and  when  the  earth  above  them  commenced  to  settle,  they  were 
ground  to  fragments  and  the  fragments  were  mingled.  Never  before  in  all  our 
mound  investigation  have  we  seen  such  wreckage  of  earthenware.  The  vessels 
from  this  place,  in  consequence,  were  not  numbered  as  they  were  removed  from  the 
ground,  as  it  has  been  our  invariable  custom  to  do  before,  but  the  more  interesting 
ones  have  been  arbitrarily  numbered  since  the  reunion  of  their  parts — which  reunion 
was  in  some  instances  a  formidable  task. 

While  many  interesting  vessels  came  from  this  place,  there  are  many  others 
bearing  almost  no  decoration,  three  encircling  lines  below  the  neck  having  been 
considered  sufficient  decoration  for  most  of  the  bottles,  while  many  bowls,  though 
of  good  ware,  bear  but  little  ornamentation.  Many  cooking  vessels  also  were  found, 
the  decoration  of  most  of  which,  while  abundant,  offers  but  little  variety. 

We  shall  now  consider  some  of  the  more  interesting  vessels  from  this  place. 

Vessel  No.  1.  (Burial  No.  2.)  This  bottle  (Plate  XXXVII),  in  the  combina 
tion  of  its  coloring,  white  (probably  kaolin)  and  black  which  is  hardly  more  than  a 
stain,  and  of  the  designs  of  its  decoration — crosses,  circles,  many-pointed  stars — is 
totally  dissimilar  from  any  vessels  from  Arkansas  we  have  seen  or  of  which  we  have 
heard.  Presumably  it  is  an  importation  from  southeastern  Missouri,  some  bottles 
from  which  region  it  greatly  resembles.  A  depression  surrounds  the  union  of  the 
neck  with  the  body. 

Vessel  No.  14.  (Burial  No.  2.)  This  bottle  (Fig.  40)  bears  incised  decoration 
which  can  be  more  clearly  seen  in  the  illustration  than  described  by  us.  The  line- 
work  has  been  filled  in  with  red. 


JOURN.  ACAD.  NAT.  SCI.  PHILAD.,  2ND  SER.,  VOL   XIV. 


PLATE  XXXVII. 


I 


HALEY  PLACE,  ARKANSAS,  VESSEL  NO.    1  (BURIAL  NO.  2).       (HEIGHT,  7.4  INCHES.) 


Cockayne,  Boston 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON    RED   RIVER.  551 


FIG.  40.— Vessel  No.  14.     Burial  No.  2.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Height  7.2  inches.) 


552  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


FIG.  41.— Vessel  No.  17.     Burial  No.  2.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Height  7  inches.) 


JOURN.  ACAD.  NAT.  SCI.  PH1LAD.,  2ND  SER.,  VOL  XIV. 


PLATE  XXXVIII. 


HALEY  PLACE,  ARKANSAS,  VESSEL   NO.  5  (BURIAL  NO.  2).      (HEIGHT,  9.8  INCHES.) 


Cockayne,   Boston 


JOURN.  ACAD.  NAT.  SCT.  PHILAD.,  2ND  SER.,  VOL.  XIV. 


PLATE  XXXIX. 


HALEY  PLACE,  ARKANSAS,  VESSEL  NO.   11  (BURIAL  NO.  2).     (HEIGHT,  10.8  INCHES.) 


Cockayne,  Boston 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON   KED   RIVER.  553 

Vessel  No.  17.  (Burial  No.  2.)  In  Fig.  41  is  shown  a  bottle  having  incised 
decoration  including  the  scroll  and  other  designs  met  with  in  this  region. 

Vessel  No.  5.  (Burial  No.  2.)  This  vessel,  shown  in  Plate  XXXVIII,  is  of 
black  ware  giving  evidence  of  an  attempt  at  polish.  The  decoration,  incised  and 
punctate,  has  at  one  time  been  filled  in  with  white  pigment.  The  handles,  almost 
solid,  have  slender,  vertical  perforations.  Another  vessel,  also  found  with  Burial  No. 
2,  is  similar  to  this  one  as  to  size,  shape,  and  decoration  with  the  exception  that  the 
line  and  punctate  work  has  been  filled  in  with  red  instead  of  with  white  pigment. 

Vessel  No.  4.  (Burial  No.  2.)  This  bowl  (Fig.  42)  of  excellent  black  ware, 
has  a  neatly-made,  incised  and  punctate  decoration  made  up  of  two  similar  designs, 
one  appearing  on  each  side  of  the  bowl. 


FIG.  42. — Vessel  No.  4.     Burial  Xo.  2.     Haley  1'lace,  Ark.     (Diam.  6.8  inches.) 

Vessel  No.  8.  (Burial  No.  2.)  This  interesting  vessel  (Fig.  43)  is  a  fair  ex 
ample  of  some  of  the  better  class  of  those  used  for  culinary  purposes  by  the  abori 
gines  who  occupied  this  site,  and  illustrates  the  care  bestowed  by  them  on  the 
shaping  and  decoration  of  some  of  these  vessels.  On  the  body,  in  relief,  are  con 
ventional  representations  of  the  cords  with  the  aid  of  which  doubtless  the  vessel 
was  suspended.  It  is  hardly  likely  the  handles  served  a  utilitarian  purpose. 

Vessel  No.  11.  (Burial  No.  2.)  The  cooking-vessel  shown  in  Plate  XXXIX 
is  one  of  the  best  of  its  class  found  at  this  site  and  shows  even  more  care  in  its  con 
struction  than  the  one  just  under  description. 

Vessel  No.  16.  (Burial  No.  2.)  This  great  bottle,  17.7  inches  in  height,  of 
which  but  3.3  inches  is  the  length  of  the  neck,  has  been  referred  to  in  the  account 
of  this  burial.  The  ware  is  black,  the  body  ovoid,  flattened  at  the  base.  The  sole 
decoration  consists  of  three  incised,  concentric,  encircling  lines  around  the  body  just 
below  its  union  with  the  neck.  Projecting  from  the  outer  circle  are  the  markings 
seen  on  some  sun-symbols  on  pottery  from  this  region.  A  considerable  number  of 
bottles  of  about  this  size  and  shape  were  found  at  this  place,  some  of  which,  in  frag 
ments,  with  a  great  many  other  vessels  also  in  fragments,  have  been  presented  by 
us  to  Peabody  Museum,  Cambridge,  Mass. 

70  JOUEN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


554 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


FIG.  43.— Vessel  No.  8.     Burial  No.  2.     Haley  1'lace,  Ark.     (Height  8.7  inches.) 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON    RED   RIVER. 


555 


FIG.  44.— Vessel  No.  4.     Burial  Xo.  3.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Height  7.4  iuches.) 

Vessel    No.    4.     (Burial  No.    3.)     Of  this  bottle,   shown  in  Fig.  44,   it  may 
be  said,  as  of  some  of  those  from  the  preceding  burial,  that  its  decoration  is  more 


556 


SOiME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


readily  understood  from  view  than 
from  verbal  description.  This  decora 
tion,  which  includes  sun-symbols,  has 
been  filled  with  red  pigment. 

Vessel  No.  7.  (Burial  No.  3.) 
This  bottle,  quadrilateral  with  four 
equidistant  projecting  parts,  is  covered 
as  to  the  body  with  incised  sun-sym 
bols,  the  line-work  of  which  has  been 
filled  in  with  red  (Fig.  45). 

Vessel  No.  5.  (Burial  No.  3.) 
This  bowl  of  yellow  ware,  bears  by 
way  of  decoration  over  the  outer  sur 
face,  a  number  of  rudely-made  knobs. 
In  addition,  is  a  representation  of  a 
cord,  no  doubt  arranged  in  a  way  in 
which  vessels  probably  often  were  sus 
pended.  There  are  perforations  below 
the  rim  on  two  opposite  sides  of  the 
bowl  (Fig.  46). 

Vessel  No.  2.  (Burial  No.  3.) 
This  bottle  (Plate  XL)  of  fine,  black, 
polished  ware,  is  a  striking  example 
of  the  best  work  in  pottery  found  in 
this  region.  The  incised  decoration, 
beautifully  executed,  based  largely  on  the  scroll,  has  been  filled  in  with  white  pig 
ment,  much  of  which  remains  and  greatly  enhances  the  general  effect. 


FIG.  45. — Vessel  No.  7.     Burial  No.  3. 
(Height  G.5  inches. 


Haley   Place,  Ark. 


FIG.  46.— Vessel  No.  5.     Burial  No.  3.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Height  4  inches.) 


JOURN.  ACAD.  NAT.  SCI.  PH.ILAD.,  2ND  SER.,  VOL.  XIV. 


PLATE  XL. 


i - 


HALEY  PLACE,  ARKANSAS,  VESSEL  NO.  2  (BURIAL  NO.  3).     (HEIGHT.  9.2  INCHES.) 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


557 


Fro.  47.— Vessel  Xo.  2.     Burial  No.  4.     Haley  Place,  Ark. 
(Height  8.1  inches.) 


FIG.  48. — Vessel  No.  5.     Burial  No.  4.     Haley  Place,  Ark. 
(Height  4.2  inches.) 


Vessel  No.  2.  (Burial  No.  4.)  This  bottle  (Fig.  47)  has  a  neck  of  a  kind 
often  met  with  along  Red  river  in  Arkansas,  which  tapers  slightly  upward.  Below 
the  union  of  the  neck  and  body  are  three  incised,  encircling  lines — a  favorite  decora 
tion  in  this  region.  On  three  sides,  in  relief,  presumably  are  representations  of 
cords,  showing  the  manner  in  which  the  bottle  was  suspended  for  use. 

Vessel  No.  5.  (Burial  No.  4.)  This  pot  of  rather  common  ware,  having  two 
holes  for  suspension,  has  a  coarse,  incised  and  punctate  decoration  showing  traces 
of  red  pigment  of  which,  however,  but  little  remains  (Fig.  48). 

Vessel  No.  8.  (Burial  No.  4).  This  fine  bowl  (Fig.  49),  found  in  a  multitude 
of  fragments,  has  been  pieced  together  with  considerable  success.  The  decoration, 
incised,  consists  of  a  pattern  six  times  shown  on  the  upper  part  of  the  body.  Below 
the  flaring  rim,  on  the  outside  are  four  encircling  lines  in  which  white  pigment  can 
be  distinguished  in  places. 

Vessel    No.  11.     (Burial  No.    4.)     This  bowl  which   has  slight  incised  and 


558 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


FIG.  49.-Vessel  No.  8.     Burial  \o.  4.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Diam.  12.2  inche 


SOiME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON    RED   RIVER.  559 

punctate  decoration  exteriorly,  though  it  is  not  shown  in  the  illustration  ( Fig.  5(1), 
has  as  a  principal  feature,  projections  radiating  horizontally  from  the  margin  such 
as  sometimes  are  shown  on  symbols  of  the  sun,  incised  on  pottery  from  this  region. 
The  ware  is  black  and  has  some  polish. 

Vessel  No.  1 . 
(Burial  No.  5.)  In 
Fig.  51  is  shown  an 
other  cooking- vessel 
of  the  same  class  as 
others  from  this  site, 
already  described  and  £, 
illustrated. 

Vessel  No.  G. 
(Burial  No.  6.)  This 
bowl  (Fig.  52)  coated 
inside  and  out  with  a 
dull  red  pigment,  has, 

in    addition,    on    the  »*!.' 

upper  part,  rather 
rude,  incised  decora 
tion.  As  the  reader 
is  aware,  incised  deco 
ration  in  conjunction 
with  the  use  of  coat 
ings  of  pigment,  is 
most  unusual  north 

n  .1         .     ,  •  FIG.  50. — Vessel  No.  11.     Hurial  No.  4.     Halev  Place,  Ark.     (Diam.  7  inches.) 

of  the  Arkansas  river, 

though  found  in  regions  to  the  south  of  it,  including  that  under  description  in  this 

report.     A  bowl  similar  to  this  one  but  smaller,  came  from  this  site. 

Vessel  No.  4.  (Burial  No.  6.)  In  Fig.  53  is  shown  a  large  cooking-vessel 
differing  in  minor  details  from  others  from  this  site. 

Vessel  No.  6.  (Burial  No.  7.)  This  vessel  of  yellow  ware  (Fig.  54)  has  in 
cised  and  punctate  decoration  based  on  the  circle  and  scroll.  The  base  is  flat  as 
are  the  bases  of  so  many  vessels  from  this  region. 

Vessel  No.  2.  (Burial  No.  7.)  A  bottle  8.4  inches  in  height,  having  by  way 
of  decoration  a  design  so  frequently  met  with  in  this  region  and  too  often,  unfor 
tunately,  with  no  other  in  conjunction,  namely,  three  encircling,  parallel  lines, 
which,  in  the  case  of  bottles,  are  incised  below  the  union  of  the  neck  with  the 
body.  The  base  is  flat;  the  ware  has  considerable  polish. 

Vessel  No.  4.  (Burial  No.  8.)  This  bottle  (Fig.  55)  is  decorated  with  two 
sets  of  concentric  circles,  each  set  surrounding  a  cross  of  the  four  directions.  Some 
of  the  circles,  incised,  are  filled  in  with  punctate  markings. 

Vessel  No.  5.     (Burial  No.  8.)    The  vessel  shown  in  Fig.  56,  a  platter,  perhaps 


560 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


Fio.  51.— Vessel  No.  1.     Burial  No.  5.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Height  10.4  inches.) 


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SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  561 

represents  some  quadruped,  though  the  designs  which  may  be  intended  to  indicate 
legs  are  not  regularly  placed,  possibly,  however,  through  lack  of  skill  in  spacing. 

Vessel  No.  3.  (Burial  No.  9.)  In  Fig.  57  is  shown  another  of  the  consider 
able  number  of  cooking-vessels  found  at  this  site. 

Vessel  No.  10.  (Burial  No.  9.)  This  vessel  (Plate  XLI),  coated  with  red  pig 
ment  inside  and  out,  has  in  addition  on  the  upper  part  of  the  body  an  incised  design 
in  conjunction  with  bosses.  Large  handles  add  to  the  general  effect  of  the  vessel. 


FIG.  52.— Vessel  No.  6.     Burial  No.  6.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Diam.  9.7  inches.) 

In  several  respects  the  mound  on  the  Haley  Place  is  notable,  and  in  one  res 
pect — the  depth  of  some  of  its  grave-pits — is  the  most  remarkable  one  it  has  been 
our  fortune  to  investigate.  As  stated  in  the  Introduction  to  this  report,  mounds 
that  have  been  built  high  above  burials  are  common  enough,  but  the  making  of 
pits  of  such  depth  as  were  some  of  those  in  the  mound  at  the  Haley  Place,  with  the 
means  at  the  disposal  of  the  aborigines,  must  have  been  a  very  difficult  task,  and  if 
the  earth  at  the  time  of  their  work  was  as  thoroughly  dry  and  hard  as  we  found  it 
to  be,  the  difficulty  of  their  achievement  must  have  been  greatly  increased. 

There  is  another  interesting  feature  connected  with  this  mound.  With  the 
exception  of  one  grave  that  cut  slightly  into  another,  there  wras  no  interference 
between  the  graves.  One  who  has  had  to  do  with  the  investigation  of  aboriginal 
places  of  burial  knows  how  common  an  occurrence  it  is  to  find  grave  cutting  through 
grave,  and  one  can  almost  believe,  in  the  absence  of  this  in  the  mound  at  the  Haley- 
Place,  that  it  was  not  only  erected  in  honor  of  the  occupant  of  the  great  pit  below 
the  mound,  but  that  the  burials  whose  graves  were  dug  through  the  mound,  or 
through  parts  of  it  (all  probably  persons  of  note,  for  who  ever  heard  before  of  such 
numerous  deposits  with  all  the  burials  in  a  mound?),  were  made  soon  after  the 
erection  of  the  mound  when  the  reason  for  its  construction  was  still  fresh  in  the 
minds  of  men.  Not  only,  as  we  have  said,  did  the  graves  not  interfere  one  with 

Tl  JOUKN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


562 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


FIG.  .-,3.— Vessel  Xo.  4.     BurialXo.fi.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Height  7.4  inches. ) 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON    RED   RIVER. 


563 


another,  but  no  interment  was  made  in  the  central  part  of  the  mound — and  that 
part  almost  surely  would  have  been  selected  for  graves  under  ordinary  circumstances. 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  demolition  of  this  mound  is  out  of  the  question, 
even  though  our  trenches  radiating  from  the  sides  of  the  main  excavation  made,  as 
we  have  noted,  the  existence  of  any  undiscovered  grave  in  that  part  of  the  mound 
under  the  summit-plateau  almost  an  impossibility.  The  mounds  at  the  Haley  Place, 
however,  are  a  valuable  asset  as  a  place  of  refuge  in  times  of  high  water;  in  fact 
they  did  good  service  in  the  flood  of  1908,  and  no  doubt  were  again  made  use  of 
in  the  still  greater  flood  of  1912,  shortly  after  our  investigation  terminated.  In 


FIG.  54. — Vessel  So.  6.     Burial  No.  7.     Haley  1'lace,  Ark. 
(Height  5  inches.) 


FIG.  55.— Vessel  No.  4.     Burial  No.  8.     Haley  Place.  Ark. 
(Height  (i.4  inches.) 


view  of  the  great  need  for  the  mounds,  not  only  could  their  demolition  not  be  per 
mitted,  but  permission  for  the  investigation  as  carried  on  by  us  was  an  act  ot 
marked  courtesy. 

Doubtless  a  cemetery  exists  in  the  level  ground  on  the  Haley  Place,  but  all 
signs  of  it  have  been  covered  by  deposits  from  various  floods.  Careful  digging  was 
done  in  three  places  where  rises  above  the  level  ground  were  noted,  but  although 
evidence  of  aboriginal  occupancy  was  present  in  all  these  places,  numerous  trial- 
holes  failed  to  reveal  any  signs  of  burial. 

About  1.5  mile  back  from  the  Halev  Place  are  two  mounds  which  were  visited 


5G4 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


by  a  member  of  our  party.  On  one  of  the  mounds  are  two  houses,  and  a  building 
is  on  the  other  one.  Furthermore  the  mounds  are  used  as  sites  for  apiaries,  and 
the  bees,  active  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  were  reported  as  likely  to  resent  the  intru- 
The  investigation  of  these  mounds  was  not  urged  by  us. 


sion  of  strangers. 


FIG.  56.— Vessel  N'o.  5.     Burial  No.  8.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Length  11.3  inches.) 


MOUNDS  NEAR  RED  LAKE,  LAFAYETTE  COUNTY,  ARK. 

Red  Lake  is  a  former  course  of  Red  river.  About  half  a  mile  in  from  the 
river,  on  the  farther  side  of  the  "lake,"  is  some  swamp  land  in  the  process  of  clear 
ing  at  the  time  of  our  visit.  On  this  property,  near  together,  are  two  low  mounds 
of  irregularly,  circular  outline,  which  were  visited  by  us.  We  could  not  determine 
the  nature  of  these  rises,  whether  aboriginal  mounds  or  remnants  of  ridges  partly 
washed  away  by  water.  We  were  unable  to  obtain  permission  to  investigate  at  this 
place,  as  the  property  was  in  process  of  sale  and  no  one  seemed  authorized  to  act. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  565 


FIG.  57.— Vessel  Xo.  3.     Burial  Xo.  9.     Haley  Place,  Ark.     (Height  13.7  inches.) 


566  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 

MOUNDS  ON  THE  WILLIAMS  PLACE,   LAFAYETTE  COUNTY,  AKK. 

On  the  border  of  the  Williams  Place,  which  is  about  one  mile  in  from  the  river, 
are  three  mounds,  two  in  woods  and  one  bordering  the  woods  but  in  a  cultivated 
field.  These  mounds,  all  in  sight  of  one  another,  are  variously  from  3  to  5  feet  in 
height.  Their  bases  are  irregular  in  outline,  but  circular  in  the  main.  The  two 
largest  mounds  have  been  dug  into  centrally  to  a  considerable  extent.  The  owner 
of  this  property  did  not  seem  inclined  to  grant  permission  to  investigate,  and  as 
the  mounds  (which  we  visited)  were  of  little  promise  because  of  their  imperfect 
condition,  the  matter  was  not  urged. 

MOUNDS  ON  THE  EGYPT  PLACE,  LAFAYETTE  COUNTY,  AKK. 

On  the  Egypt  Place,  a  plantation  about  one  mile  back  from  the  river,  are  two 
mounds  which  were  visited  by  our  agent.  The  place  has  a  reputation  for  the  dis 
covery  of  aboriginal  relics.  The  owner,  however,  refused  us  permission  to  investigate. 

THE  BATTLE  PLACE,  LAFAYETTE  COUNTY,  ARK. 

The  Battle  Place,  which  takes  its  name  from  that  of  a  former  owner  and  not 
from  having  been  the  scene  of  a  conflict,  is  one  of  numerous  properties  belonging  to 
Mr.  Henry  Moore,  Jr.,  of  Texarkana,  Ark.,  which  kindly  were  placed  at  our  dis 
posal  by  him.  This  plantation  has  a  considerable  reputation  as  a  site  where  relics 
of  the  aborigines  have  been  unearthed  by  the  plow. 

The  plantation  does  not  border  the  river  but  lies  about  one  mile  back  from  it, 
near  Battle  Lake,  a  former  course  of  Red  river,  no  doubt,  which  was  itself  the  river 
when  the  aborigines  occupied  the  site. 

A  short  distance  from  Battle  Lake  is  a  large  mound  of  peculiar  shape.  This 
mound,  extending  N.  and  S.  has  a  basal  length  of  592  feet.  Beginning  at  the 
southern  end,  the  upper  surface  of  the  mound  is  outlined  by  a  series  of  levels  and 
slopes,  some  of  the  latter  very  steep,  others  less  so.  From  the  general  level  at  the 
southern  end  three  slopes  and  two  plateaus  carry  the  mound  to  a  third  plateau, 
where  it  attains  a  maximum  height  of  33  feet.  From  this  plateau,  a  descent, 
another  plateau,  and  a  slope  bring  the  mound  to  the  surrounding  territory  on 
the  north. 

The  basal  width  of  that  part  of  the  mound  which  is  under  the  main  plateau  is 
157  feet,  which  includes  that  of  a  roadway  extending  up  the  eastern  part  of  the 
mound,  from  south  to  north. 

The  width  of  the  mound  contracts  materially  in  proportion  to  the  proximity 
to  the  ends.  The  width  of  the  main  plateau  is  28  feet;  the  height  of  the  southern 
most  plateau  is  slightly  more  than  10  feet. 

A  number  of  trial-holes  dug  into  various  parts  of  the  great  mound  were  with 
out  return  except  the  finding  of  a  flint  pebble  on  which  a  cutting  edge  had  been 
carefully  ground,  though  no  additional  work  had  been  done  on  the  pebble. 

To  the  eastern  side  of  the  great  mound  is  a  cultivated  field  in  which,  in  full 
view  from  the  mound,  were  four  low  humps  and  rises  of  the  ground  that  long  culti- 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  507 

vation  evidently  had  considerably  spread.  The  surface  of  the  field  showed  in  places 
bits  of  tlint,  pebbles,  fragments  of  pottery,  and  in  one  instance,  parts  of  a  human 
skull  were  found.  Several  arrowheads  also  were  picked  up  on  the  surface.  The 
field  is  clay,  probably  a  river  deposit,  under  which  is  sand  with  some  clay 
intermingled. 

The  four  rises  of  the  ground  were  all  carefully  investigated  and,  in  addition, 
a  number  of  places  in  the  field  were  dug  into,  which,  though  level,  had  scattered 
over  them  debris  which  invited  investigation.  Also  a  low  mound  to  the  SW.  of  the 
great  mound  was  carefully  dug  through.  The  only  place  where  our  search  was 
rewarded  was  in  one  of  the  rises,  which  was  of  little  appreciable  height, — perhaps 
one  foot  in  some  places  and  less  in  others, — and  had  no  determinable  boundaries. 
A  space  in  it,  located  as  nearly  centrally  as  we  could  .judge,  having  a  diameter  of 
about  50  feet,  was  carefully  investigated  and  five  burials  were  found  in  it,  ranging 
in  depth  between  1  foot  and  "1  feet  G  inches. 

Three  of  these  burials  were  of  adults  extended  on  the  back,  and  one  probably 
was  an  aboriginal  disturbance.  This  last  burial  consisted  of  the  skull  of  an  adult 
with  the  lower  jaw,  and  in  the  neighborhood  were  two  other  mandibles.  Somewhat 
farther  in  and  deeper  was  another  skull. 

Burial  No.  "2,  that  of  an  adult,  had  been  disturbed  by  the  digging  of  a  grave 
for  Burial  No.  1  and  thereby  had  lost  the  skull.  The  remainder  of  the  skeleton 
was  intact.  Near  the  upper  end  of  the  skeleton  were  two  skulls  of  adults,  in  frag 
ments.  One  of  these  skulls  probably  belonged  to  the  skeleton. 

Burial  No.  5,  that  of  an  adult,  had  an  additional  skull  lying  near  it. 
Of  the  three  extended  skeletons,  one  headed  north  and  the  skulls  of  two  were 
directed  toward  the  south.      All  the  skeletal  remains  in  this  mound  were  too  much 
decayed  for  preservation. 

With  the  exception  of  a  decaying  columella  of  a  marine  shell,  which  lay  near 
one  of  the  skeletons,  nothing  except  pottery  remained  with  them,  but  of  this  each 
had  an  ample  allowance. 

Thirty-five  vessels,  most  of  them  broken,  and  many  scattered  fragments  of 
earthenware  came  from  this  little  mound,  two  of  the  vessels  being  found  apart  from 
burials. 

Some  of  the  vessels  were  interestingly  placed.  Burial  No.  1,  adult,  had  at  the 
inner  side  of  the  left  foot  and  leg,  and  extending  over  the  right  foot  and  lesr,  a 
group  of  seven  vessels,  six  upright,  one  inverted.  At  the  outer  side  of  the  right 
forearm  was  another  vessel,  and  still  another  at  the  right  elbow.  The  slight  sepa 
ration  of  the  legs  of  this  skeleton  to  permit  the  placing  of  vessels  between  them, 
was  an  interesting  feature. 

Burial  No.  3,  a  child,  had  grouped  over  the  head,  six  vessels,  the  head  being 
centrally  beneath  them. 

The  earthenware  from  the  Battle  Place  (with  the  exception  of  the  cooking 
vessels)  is  of  excellent  quality,  thin  and  some  of  it  polished.  The  vessels  are  sym 
metrical,  and  nearly  all,  even  the  cooking  pots,  bear  much  incised  decoration. 


568 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


though  that  on  the  vessels  used  for  culinary  purposes  is,  of  course,  inferior  to  the 
rest.  There  is  comparatively  little  variety  in  shape  or  in  decoration,  however. 
Red  pigment  is  in  much  of  the  line-work.  Some  designs  are  partly  in  interrupted 
lines,  a  specialty  of  this  region. 


FIG.  58.— Vessel  No.  26.     Battle  Place,  Ark.        (Height  6.5  inches.) 

The  following  are  the  most  interesting  vessels  from  this  place  : 
Vessels  Nos.  26  and  30.     The  bottles  shown  in  Figs.  58,  59,  respectively,  are 
of  excellent  ware,  of  graceful  form  and  bear  incised  designs  mainly  based  on  the 
circle  and  on  the  scroll.     The  line-work  has  been  filled  in  with  red  pigment.     The 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON   RED   RIVER.  569 

swelling  seen  in  the  neck  of  each  vessel  denotes  a  compound  form  and  is  a  conven 
tionalized  representation  of  a  cup  imposed  on  the  opening  of  the  bottle.     Bottles 


FIG.  59.— Vessel  No.  30.     Battle  Place.  Ark.     (Height  7.3  inches.) 

similar  to  these  are  found  further  to  the  eastward,  in  Louisiana  near  the  junction  of 
Bayou  Bartholomew  with  the  Ouachita  river,  though  red  pigment  is  absent  from 
the  line  decoration  in  the  Ouachita  region. 

72  JOURX.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


570  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED  RIVER. 

Vessel  No.  33.  In  Fig.  60  is  shown  a  very  interesting  bottle  and  like  the  two 
just  described,  compound  in  form  though  in  this  instance  we  have  an  additional 
feature.  On  a  bowl  a  bottle  is  represented  and  this  bottle  has  for  a  neck  a  con 
ventionalized  cup. 

Vessel  No.  10.     In  Fig.  61  is  shown  a  vessel  presenting  on  the  sides  four 


FIG.  60.— Vessel  No.  33.     Jiattel  Place,  Ark.     (Height  6.3  inches.) 

equidistant  projections  each  surrounded  by  concentric  circles  very  carefully  incised. 
Spaces  above  and  below  are  filled  with  series  of  parallel  lines. 

Vessel  No.  19.     This  bowl,  showing  as  decoration  four  similar  designs  made 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


571 


up  of  scrolls  and  circles,  the  designs  separated  by  parallel  lines,  has  traces  of  white 
pigment  still  in  places  in  the  line-work  (Fig.  fl'J). 


FIG.  61.— Vessel  No.  10.     Battle  Place,  Ark.     (Height  3.3  inches.) 


FIG.  62.— Vessel  Xo.  19.     Battle  1'hice,  Ark.     (Diam.  4.7  inches.) 

Vessel  No.  13.     This  bowl  of  black  ware  (Fig.  63)  is  covered  exteriorly  (with 
the  exception  of  a  small  circle  forming  the  base)  with  incised  decoration  rather 


572 


SOME   ABOKIGINAL   SITES  ON   RED   RIVER. 


unevenly  done,  principally  based  on  the  current  scroll  and  circles.  Red  pigment, 
with  which  all  the  line-work  has  been  filled,  still  remains  in  fairly  good  condition. 
Vessel  No.  6.  This  bowl  bears  an  incised  decoration  chiefiy  consisting  of 
circles  and  spaces  with  reticulate  lines.  In  all  the  line-work  are  traces  of  red 
coloring  material  (Fig.  64). 


Fie;.  63.— Vessel  No.  13.     Battle  Place.  Ark.     (Diam.  li  inches.) 

Vessel  No.  12.  In  Fig.  65  is  shown  a  bowl  with  the  rudely-modeled  head  of 
a  bird,  projecting  from  one  side.  Vessels  of  this  class  are  about  as  near  to  the  life- 
form  as  was  attained  by  the  aboriginal  potters  inhabiting  that  part  of  Red  river 

running  through  Arkansas.  On 
the  conventional  tail  is  a  curi 
ous  figure  we  are  unable  to 
explain. 

Vessel  No.  9.  A  bottle 
3.1  inches  in  height,  with 
swelling  neck  indicating  a  com 
pound  form.  The  decoration, 
incised,  is  made  up  of  partly 
interlocked  scrolls.  The  base 
is  flat. 

Vessel  No.  11.  A  bottle 
3.C)  inches  in  height,  of  black 
ware  showing  considerable  pol 
ish.  The  decoration  consists  of  current  scrolls  and  circles,  the  ground  being 
filled  in  with  reticulate  lines.  The  incised  work  on  this  bottle  is  still  filled  in  with 
a  brilliant  red  pigment  having  an  unusual  degree  of  intensity.  Unfortunately, 
the  neck  of  this  bottle  had  been  carried  away  by  previous  disturbance  of  the 
mound,  but  as  the  bottle,  in  ornamentation,  shape  and  she  greatly  resembles  Vessel 
No.  9  (whose  description  just  precedes  this  one),  the  neck  has  been  restored  in 
imitation  of  that  on  Vessel  No.  9. 


FIG.  6i. — Vessel  N'o.  G.     Battle  Place,  Ark.     (Diam.  5  inches.) 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


573 


In  sight  of  the  great  mound,  to  the  north  of  it,  is  a  cultivated  ground  which  is 
unusually  black,  and  has  considerable  debris  of  aboriginal  dwelling-sites  on  the 
surface.  There  is  history  of  bones  and  of  artifacts  plowed  up  at  this  place.  Prob 
ably,  however,  most  of  the  burials  that  formerly  were  there  have  been  removed  in 
the  course  of  cultivation,  as  fifteen  trial-holes  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  but  one 
burial  (Number  6),  the  skeleton  of  an  adult  extended  on  the  back,  the  head  directed 
to  the  east.  This  burial  was  unaccompanied  by  artifacts.  A  neatly-made  hatchet 
unearthed  at  this  place  was  given  by  us  to  Mr.  Moore,  the  owner  of  the  plantation. 


FIG.  05.— Vessel  No.  12.     Hattle  Place,  Ark.     (Height  of  howl  2.4  inches.) 

Adjoining  the  Battle  Place  is  the  Harrell  Place,  where,  in  the  past,  it  is  said, 
aboriginal  artifacts  have  been  exposed  by  the  plow.  The  spot  where  these  discov 
eries  had  been  made, — level  ground  strewn  with  debris  of  an  aboriginal  site, — was 
dug  into  by  us  without  success,  though  eight  arrowpoints  of  flint,  some  slender  and 
delicately  made,  were  picked  up  on  the  surface. 

About  3  miles  above  the  Battle  Place,  on  the  same  side  of  the  river,  is  the 
Cabinas  Place.  Here,  near  the  present  course  of  the  river,  it  is  said  that  workers, 
while  engaged  with  scoop-shovels  drawn  by  horses,  in  the  construction  of  a  levee, 
unearthed  at  one  place  skeletons  and  a  number  of  earthenware  vessels. 

We  examined  some  vessels  which  Mr.  Cabinas,  the  owner  of  the  property,  told 
us  were  a  part  of  those  found  on  his  place.  These  vessels  resemble  some  from  the 
Battle  Place. 


574  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 

We  carefully  investigated  the  spot  where  the  pottery  is  said  to  have  been  found, 
and  where  many  fragments  of  pottery  and  of  human  bones  lay  on  the  surface,  but 
were  unable  to  come  upon  human  burials  in  a  considerable  amount  of  digging.  Pre 
sumably  the  cemetery  had  been  a  small  one  and  the  makers  of  the  levee  destroyed 
all  the  human  remains  there  were  in  it. 

A  skeleton,  however,  was  found  by  us, — probably  that  of  a  dog,  judging  from 
the  size  and  general  appearance, — which  fell  into  fragments  on  removal.  The 
skeleton  la}-  in  a  shallow  grave,  and  on  the  skull  was  a  large  fragment  of  pottery. 

MOUNDS  ON  THE  McCLURE  PLACE,  MILLER  COUNTY,  ARK. 

The  McClure  Place,  several  miles  below  the  town  of  Garland,  is  the  property 
of  Mr.  Dan  W.  McClure,  who  resides  upon  it. 

About  one-quarter  mile  in  a  straight  line  SW.  from  the  landing  at  the  McClure 
plantation,  in  a  cultivated  field,  are  two  mounds,  both  of  which  have  been  plowed 
over  for  a  considerable  time  and  no  doubt  have  lost  some  of  their  height  through 
cultivation. 

On  the  surface  of  both  these  mounds,  which  Mr.  McClure  informed  us  were  not 
submerged  in  the  great  Hood  of  1908,  were  fragments  of  flint  and  bits  of  pottery. 

One  of  these  mounds,  which  is  but  a  short  distance  from  the  other,  resembles 
somewhat  a  small  ridge  extending  N.  and  S.,  with  a  slight  increase  in  height  near 
the  ends.  The  southern  end,  the  greater  in  height,  has  a  rise  of  1  foot  3  inches. 
The  length  of  the  mound  is  somewhat  in  excess  of  100  feet;  its  width  is  from  40 
to  45  feet. 

The  mound,  which  is  composed  of  sand  with  some  clay  intermingled,  was  fairly 
riddled  with  trial-holes  by  us,  and  to  an  extent  that  it  is  almost  inconceivable  that 
a  skeleton  in  it  can  have  escaped  discovery.  Two  burials  were  discovered,  one  in 
about  the  highest  part  of  the  southern  end,  and  one  similarly  situated  in  the 
northern  end. 

Burial  No.  1  (in  the  southern  extremity),  a  child,  14  inches  below  the  surface, 
had  a  small  bottle  at  the  right  of  the  skull.  At  the  outer  side  of  the  left  forearm 
was  a  bowl,  and  another  bowl  lay  at  the  upper  part  of  the  left  femur,  having  been 
placed  upright  above  another  vessel.  Three  of  these  vessels  were  small  and  evi 
dently  were  intended  for  a  child,  while  one  was  of  moderate  size.  All  were  more 
or  less  broken.  A  mussel-shell  was  at  the  right  of  the  right  knee. 

Burial  No.  2,  adult,  probably  a  woman,  lay  extended  on  the  back,  the  head 
directed  S.  by  W.  The  depth  was  3  feet  8  inches,  though  no  pit  was  apparent, 
save  that  the  burial  lay  in  light  sand  which  underlies  the  soil  at  this  place  and  of 
course  the  burial  must  have  been  placed  in  an  excavation  made  for  it.  This  skele 
ton,  which  was  in  excellent  condition  and  which  was  saved  almost  entire,  was  richly 
endowed  with  mortuary  deposits  in  the  shape  of  vessels  of  earthenware,  which, 
however,  when  recovered  by  us,  were  nearly  all  badly  crushed.  At  the  outer  side  of 
the  left  shoulder  was  a  vessel,  and  two  others  were  at  the  outer  side  of  the  left  fore 
arm.  A  small  bowl  had  been  turned  over  the  right  hand  and  contained  the  bones  of 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER.  575 

it  when  removed  from  the  soil.  At  the  outer  side  of  the  middle  of  the  right  femur 
were  some  decaying  bones  of  a  small  fish.  At  the  upper  part  of  the  left  femur  was 
a  badly-broken  vessel,  and  a  cooking-pot  had  been  placed  at  the  lower  part  of  the 
same  bone.  Beneath  this  vessel  was  another  in  fragments.  A  small  vessel  lay 
between  the  knees,  .and  a  vessel  badly  crushed  was  at  the  left  tibia.  At  the  outer 
side  of  the  right  ankle  was  a  bowl  having  the  head  of  a  bird,  rudely  represented, 
rising  perpendicularly  from  the  margin,  and  a  conventional  tail  on  the  opposite 
side — a  poor  example  of  a  type  common  in  regions  to  the  eastward.  Also  at  the 
right  ankle,  and  extending  to  the  foot,  were  a  small  bottle  and  a  rude  kitchen  ves 
sel.  At  the  inner  side  of  the  middle  of  the  left  femur,  a  mussel-shell  (i'nio  hydi- 
(iims)  had  been  placed. 

The  vessels  from  the  two  burials  in  this  mound  (Nos.  1  to  16,  inclusive)  present 
no  striking  feature.  The  decoration,  except  in  the  case  of  kitchen  vessels,  is  trailed 
rather  than  incised. 

The  remaining  mound  at  this  place  was  3.5  feet  in  height,  though  the  stump 
of  a  tree  upon  it  showed  the  mound  had  lost  at  least  one  foot  in  altitude  in  recent 
times,  presumably  by  wash  of  rain  after  the  clayey  sand,  of  which  the  mound  was 
composed,  had  been  loosened  by  cultivation.  The  base,  which  was  irregularly 
circular,  was  70  feet  in  diameter. 

This  mound,  like  its  neighbor,  was  so  filled  with  trial-holes  by  us,  some  of 
which  extended  into  one  another,  that  it  is  hardly  likely  that  any  burial  in  it 
remained  undiscovered.  Two  burials  were  found  near  together  in  the  central  part 
of  the  mound. 

Burial  No.  3,  the  skeleton  of  an  adult,  probably  male,  extended  on  the  back, 
the  head  pointing  S.,  lay  at  a  depth  of  3  feet  8  inches.  We  were  unable  to  trace  a 
pit  from  the  surface  down,  but  the  lower  16  inches  of  the  grave  had  been  filled  in 
with  mixed  material  and  evidently  to  that  extent,  at  least,  the  burial  had  been  let 
into  the  mound. 

At  the  outer  side  of  the  right  humerus  was  a  vessel  which,  like  one  similarly 
placed  at  the  left  humerus,  was  badly  crushed.  At  the  right  forearm  was  a  bottle, 
and  at  the  left  wrist  were  some  bones  which  Prof.  F.  A.  Lucas  has  determined  as 
having  belonged  to  a  lynx,  probably  Lynx  ntffiis  floridanns.  A  bowl  had  been 
placed  in  an  inverted  position  at  the  outer  side  of  the  upper  part  of  the  right  thigh, 
and  at  the  upper  part  of  the  left  tibia  lay  a  vessel  crushed  to  fragments. 

Burial  No.  4.  This  burial  was  the  skeleton  of  an  adult,  probably  male,  lying 
at  full  length  on  the  back,  the  head  directed  S.1 

The  bones  were  well  preserved,  practically  all  belonging  to  both  skeletons  being 
in  a  condition  to  save.  The  bone  of  the  left  thigh  of  this  skeleton  showed  an  inter 
esting  fracture  at  about  the  middle  part,  with  union  of  overlapping  ends,  shortening 
the  bone  about  one  inch,  judging  by  comparison  with  the  bone  of  the  other  thigh. 

This  skeleton  had  at  the  left  of  the  skull,  a  bottle,  and  at  the  left  of  the  pelvis, 

1  The  heads  of  both  burials  in  this  mound  pointed  between  S.  and  S.  by  E.,  one-half  point  from 
due  south,  to  be  exact. 


576 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


a  bowl  placed  vertically,  under  which,  also  upright,  was  another  bowl,  the  bones 
of  the  left  hand  lying  between  the  two  vessels.  Over  the  middle  of  the  left  tibia 
was  a  rude  jar,  which  evidently  had  been  used  for  culinary  purposes. 

An  interesting  deposit  was  at  the  right  hand  of  the  skeleton,  extending  some 
what  up  the  forearm.  In  a  mass,  together,  were  fifty  fresh-water  mussel-shells,1 
all  of  the  same  variety  (C/mo  fiarvus),  each  of  which  apparently  had  been  treated 
in  the  same  manner.  The  length  of  each  is  a  little  less  than  2  inches.  At  slightly 
varying  distances  from  the  hinge,  but  always  near  it,  is  a  perforation,  doubtless  for 
suspension.  The  opposite  end  of  the  shell  apparently  has  been  removed  by  grinding. 

Forming  a  part  of  this  interesting  deposit  was  a  large  mussel-shell  (Unio  gra- 
cilis)  broken  into  many  fragments.  Through  this  shell  had  been  several  series  of 
circular  perforations,  in  lines. 

With  this  deposit  also  lay  the  shell  of  a  small  turtle  or  tortoise,  far  advanced 
in  decay  and  very  fragmentary.  Sufficient  of  the  carapace  remained,  however,  to 
show  a  perforation  at  one  end  near  the  margin.  A  careful  search  for  pebbles  within 
the  shell  was  without  success. 


FIG.  66. — Earthenware  pipe.     McC'lure 
Place,  Ark.     (Full  size.) 


FIG.  67. — Pipe.     Vertical  section.     (Full  size.) 


Lying  among  the  shells  was  an  earthenware  pipe  (Fig.  66),  which,  though 
bearing  no  incised  decoration  and  not  pretentious  in  appearance,  presents  two  fea 
tures  of  interest.  The  opening  suitable  for  the  reception  of  a  large  stem  extends 
inward  a  certain  distance  where  the  stem  would  meet  a  shoulder,  beyond  which 
a  slender  passageway  for  the  smoke  continues,  as  shown  in  section  (Fig.  67). 

At  the  front  of  the  bowl  of  the  pipe  is  a  flat  addition  in  relief.  Some  pipes  of 
this  region  have  projections  extending  horizontally  beyond  the  bases  of  the  bowls, 
doubtless  allying  them  with  the  "monitor"  class.  Now  the  flat  addition  to  the 
pipe  in  question,  which  is  placed  vertically  on  the  front  of  the  bowl,  seems  to  be 
simply  this  horizontal  projection  turned  up  against  the  bowl." 

The  earthenware  vessels  from  this  mound  include  two  beautiful  bottles,  which, 
with  other  vessels  from  the  McClure  Place,  will  be  described  in  detail. 

Vessel  No.  20.  This  bottle  (Fig.  58)  on  which  the  attempt  to  confer  a  polished 
surface  has  been  in  part  a  failure  since  much  of  the  vessel  remains  the  original 
yellow,  has  an  incised  decoration  mainly  consisting  of  sun-symbols.  There  are  faint 
traces  of  red  pigment  in  some  of  the  line-work. 

1  One  of  the  fifty,  found  in  fragments,  no  doubt  had  been  uniform  with  the  others,  though  deter 
mination  is  not  possible. 

2  For  additional  details  and  illustrations,  see  at  the  close  of  this  report. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


577 


FIG.  68.— Vessel  Xo.  20.     McClure  Place.  Ark.     (Height  S.4  inches.) 


73  JOURN*.  A.  X.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


578 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


Vessel  No.  23.  This  bottle,  also  decorated  with  incised  sun-symbols,  the  line- 
work  of  which  has  been  filled  with  red,  is  shown  in  Fig.  69. 

Vessel  No.  1.  This  little  bottle  of  compound  form,  the  swelling  neck  represent 
ing  a  cup  set  in  the  mouth  of  a  bottle,  is  of  yellow  ware,  the  decoration  is  punctate 
and  trailed,  the  design  in  the  main  being  founded  on  the  scroll  (Fig.  70). 

Vessel  No.  15.     This  bowl  of  black  ware  is  decorated  over  the  space  forming 


FIG.  69. — Aressel  Xo.  23.     McClure  Place,  Ark.     (Height  8.8  inches.) 

the  upper  part  of  a  kind  of  projecting  shoulder,  with  circles  and  a  current  scroll  in 
a  field  of  reticulate  lines.  The  decoration  shown  in  the  illustration  (Fig.  71) 
completely  covers  the  base  and  consists  of  two  series  of  concentric  circles  with  spaces 
on  each  side  filled  in  with  series  of  curved  lines. 

Vessel  No.  14.     A  bowl  of  ordinary  ware  (Fig.  72)  having  on  the  upper  part 
of  the  body  rude,  incised  decoration  which  has  been  filled  in  with  white  pigment, 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


579 


FIG.  70.— Vessel  N'o.  1.     McClure  Place,  Ark.     (Height  3.2  inches.) 


FIG.  71.— Vessel  Xo.  15.     McClure  Place,  Ark.     (Diam.  4.75  inches.) 


580 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


is  of  interest  only  in  that  it  seems  to  be  a  compound  form,  a  bowl  with  a  saucer 
placed  upon  it.  Small  handles  are  seen  in  four  places  on  the  rim  of  the  lower 
vessel. 


FIG.  72.— Vessel  No.  14.     McClure  Place,  Ark.     (Height  3.4  inches.) 


Fl<;.  73. — Vessel  Xo.  2.     McClure  Place,  Ark.     (Diaru.  3.G  inches.) 

Vessels  Nos.  2,  13,  16,  shown  in  Figs.  73,  74,  75,  respectively,  are  three  other 
vessels  with  incised  decoration  from  this  place. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


581 


FIG.  71. — Vessel  No.  13.     McClure  Place,  Ark.     (Diain.  f>.7  inches.) 


FIG.  75.— Vessel  No.  16.     McClure  Place,  Ark.     (Height  2.8  inches.) 

MOUNDS  ON  THE  HAYNES  PLACE,  LAFAYETTE  COUNTY,  ARK. 

On  the  Haynes  Place,  of  which  Mr.  W.  P.  Haynes,  who  lives  upon  it,  is  the 
owner,  are  three  mounds  in  sight  of  one  another,  near  the  bank  of  Red  Lake1,  a 
former  course  of  Red  river. 

The  largest  mound,  which  is  on  the  edge  of  a  cultivated  field,  is  on  fairly  level 
ground;  its  height,  measured  from  two  sides,  gave  the  same  result,  namely,  7  feet 
6  inches.  The  upper  part  of  the  mound  was  much  too  steep  for  cultivation,  but  it 
is  possible  that  the  lower  parts  have  been  plowed  over.  At  the  time  of  our  visit, 
however,  no  signs  of  this  were  apparent. 

1  There  are  several  "lakes"  of  this  name  along  Red  river. 


582  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON   RED   RIVER. 

The  basal  outline  of  the  mound  was  roughly  elliptical ;  the  diameters  E.  and 
W.  and  N.  and  S.,  respectively,  were  82  feet  and  C>2  feet.  The  diameter  of  the 
summit-plateau,  which  originally  had  been  small,  was  difficult  to  determine  owing 
to  the  presence  of  a  trench  and  of  debris  thrown  out  in  its  making.  This  trench, 
made  by  former  diggers, — faint-hearted  ones  if  they  were  treasure-seekers, — began 
near  the  margin  of  the  southern  part  of  the  mound  and  continued  up,  so  nearly  as 
we  could  determine,  to  what  had  been  the  center  of  the  summit-plateau,  where  a 
hole  about  3  feet  in  diameter  at  the  surface,  tapering  almost  to  a  point  had  been 
sunk  to  the  basal  part  of  the  mound. 

The  trench,  about  5  feet  in  diameter  on  top,  converged  considerably.  Its 
depth  was  about  2  feet.  So  far  as  any  interference  with  the  investigation  of  the 
mound  was  concerned,  this  trench  could  be  ignored. 

The  mound  had  every  appearance  of  having  been  made  for  burial  purposes. 
As  Mr.  Haynes,  the  owner  of  the  plantation,  probably  felt  that  his  land,  which 
was  high  in  places,  would  not  all  be  submerged  even  if  the  levee  which  surrounded 
the  estate  gave  way,  permission  was  accorded  us  to  treat  the  mound  as  we  saw  fit, 
and  in  consequence  it  was  completely  demolished,  our  diggers  carrying  out  the 
work  on  a  level  from  1  to  2  feet  below  the  base  of  the  mound,  judging  from  its 
height  as  ascertained  by  us.  In  addition,  narrow  but  deep  pits  were  frequently 
dug  down  from  the  level  of  the  work  to  aid  in  a  search  for  graves. 

The  mound  was  variously  composed.  Much  of  it  consisted  of  a  mixture  of 
clay  and  sand — mostly  clay — brown  in  color.  Also,  there  was  considerable  red 
clay  in  places,  and,  locally,  very  considerable  layers  of  light-yellow  sand.  There 
was  no  uniform  stratification  throughout. 

This  mound  was  a  problem.  No  line  of  original  base  or  trace  of  such  a  line 
was  apparent,  and  digging  below  where  the  base-line  might  have  been  expected  to 
be,  in  places  came  upon  yellow  sand,  seemingly  undisturbed,  and  elsewhere  upon 
solid  red  clay  without  a  trace  of  disturbance.  Hence  the  original  base  of  the 
mound  could  not  have  been  below  the  level  of  our  digging.  Why  the  black 
stratum  which  usually  marks  the  base  of  the  mound  (of  little  thickness  if  it  is  the 
result  of  decayed  vegetation  alone,  more  marked  if  the  debris  of  aboriginal  life  has 
contributed  toward  its  making)  was  absent  from  this  mound  only  can  be  surmised. 
Possibly,  prior  to  the  making  of  the  mound,  the  ground  had  been  cleared  by  the 
aborigines  for  some  reason,  or  perhaps  the  region  recently  had  been  subject  to 
wash  from  the  nearby  river. 

Throughout  the  demolition  of  the  mound,  with  the  exception  of  a  burial  to  be 
described  in  due  course,  the  only  internal  evidence  of  the  erection  of  the  mound  by 
the  hand  of  man  was  the  mixture  of  the  component  materials.  Bits  of  pottery, 
bones  of  lower  animals,  fire-places,  fragments  of  stone,  were  absent. 

Five  feet  six  inches  south  of  an  imaginary  vertical  line  passing  through  the 
meeting-point  of  the  axes  of  the  basal  plane  of  the  mound,  but  on  a  level  2  feet  4 
inches  below  this  plane,  if  we  consider  it  to  have  been  at  a  depth  of  7.5  feet  (which, 
as  we  have  said,  was  the  height  of  the  mound  when  measured  from  the  outside), 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  583 

was  a  deposit  of  cremated  remains.  This  deposit  lay  upon  hard,  red  clay,  evi 
dently  undisturbed  soil,  but  though  the  depth  of  the  deposit  was,  as  we  have  said, 
about  2  feet  in  excess  of  the  supposed  height  of  the  mound,  no  pit  was  evident, 
though  great  care  was  exercised  by  us  to  determine  the  matter.  We  are  inclined 
to  think  that  the  deposit  of  cremated  remains  had  been  placed  on  the  level  ground 
and  a  mound  about  9.5  feet  in  height  built  over  it.  Later,  deposits  of  soil  probably 
filled  in  around  the  mound,  reducing  its  height  to  the  extent  of  about  2  feet. 

The  cremated  deposit,  whose  maximum  length,  breadth,  and  thickness  were 
respectively  43  inches,  28  inches,  and  6  inches,  was  composed  of  two  contiguous 
deposits,  each  of  a  different  degree  of  incineration.  One  of  these,  somewhat  less  in 
amount  than  the  other,  consisted  of  cremated  human  bones  in  fragments,  some 
exceptionally  the  size  of  a  man's  finger  and  furnishing  complete  evidence  for 
determination. 

The  other  and  greater  deposit  was  almost  exclusively  made  up  of  fine  particles 
of  cremated  material,  probably  human  remains  in  the  main,  as  a  few  bits  of  human 
bones  were  in  it. 

Presumably  such  belongings  of  the  dead  as  had  been  selected  for  interment 
with  the  remains  of  the  individual  (if  the  burial  was  that  of  a  single  individual, 
which  presumably  was  the  case)  had  been  subjected  to  cremation  at  the  same  time 
as  the  remains.  With  the  deposit  of  small  particles  were  a  few  discoidal  shell 
beads  each  about  .25  inch  in  diameter. 

With  the  large  fragments  of  calcined  bones  were  scattered  :  other  discoidal 
beads;  one  tubular  shell  bead;  a  flat,  rectangular  bead  of  shell,  about  .75  inch  in 
length,  pierced  through  its  major  axis.  Also  in  this  deposit  were  :  a  considerable 
number  of  fragments  having  belonged  to  several  roughly-chipped  implements  of 
flint  (one  a  fragment  of  a  spearhead,  1.75  inch  in  length);  a  small  part  of  an  earth 
enware  vessel ;  a  bit  of  stone  belonging  to  a  celt.  All  the  objects  from  these 
deposits  had  been  subjected  to  fire.  The  beads  are  calcined  ;  the  stone  had  been 
shattered  by  heat;  even  the  bit  of  earthenware  shows  the  effect  of  prolonged 
exposure  to  flame. 

It  was  clear  that  the  cremation  of  the  remains  had  not  been  performed  in  the 
place  where  they  were  found,  since  there  were  no  marks  of  fire  there.  Further 
more,  though  the  cremated  deposit  was  carefully  searched,  missing  parts  of  the 
objects  referred  to  were  not  found,  and  these,  presumably,  were  left  at  the  place  of 
cremation. 

The  remaining  two  mounds  on  the  Haynes  Place  are  but  a  few  feet  apart. 
There  is  a  report  that  relics  were  taken  from  one  of  them,  or  from  near  one  of 
them,  when  material  was  obtained  to  make  the  nearby  levee.  One  of  these  mounds, 
about  4  feet  high  at  present,  is  of  no  particular  shape,  owing  to  wear  and  wash. 
Upon  it  are  a  frame  house  and  a  small  out-house. 

The  other  mound,  just  within  the  limit  of  the  cultivated  field,  originally  small, 
no  doubt,  has  been  plowed  over  until  but  a  few  inches  remain  above  the  general  level. 

Trial-holes  in  these  mounds  were  not  rewarded. 


584  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 

MOUNDS  ON  THE  FRIDAY  PLACE,  LAFAYETTE  COUNTY,  ARK. 

The  Friday  Place  is  another  of  the  plantations  on  Red  river  so  courteously 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  Academy  for  investigation,  by  Mr.  Henry  Moore,  Jr., 
of  Texarkana,  Ark.  Our  search  at  the  Friday  Place  was  made  under  unfavorable 
conditions.  Red  river  was  in  flood  and  had  gone  over  its  banks  in  places.  It  was 
necessary  for  us  to  visit  the  mounds  on  this  place  in  boats,  the  water  extending  to 
the  very  bases  of  the  mounds  and  oozing  through  the  mounds  themselves,  filling 
with  water  the  lower  parts  of  excavations  of  any  depth. 

MOUND  A. 

In  sight  from  the  river  bank,  on  the  border  of  woods,  is  a  beautifully-sym 
metrical  mound  of  circular  outline,  70  feet  in  basal  diameter.  Its  height  is  7.5 
feet.  A  causeway  joins  the  mound  on  the  southern  side  at  a  level  of  about  one-half 
its  height.  In  this  causeway  was  an  oval  space  appearing  as  if  it  had  been  dug 
out,  though  no  evidence  of  material  obtained  from  it  was  in  sight.  As  we  have 
noticed  similar  depressions  in  other  aboriginal  causeways,  we  are  inclined  to  believe 
they  were  made  intentionally  by  the  aborigines  for  a  reason  of  which  we  are  ignorant. 

Ten  trial-holes,  many  of  which  were  greatly  enlarged,  were  put  down  from  the 
summit-plateau  of  Mound  A.  Those  in  the  western  half  of  the  mound  came  upon 
a  fire-place  which  proved  to  be  about  16  feet  by  21  feet  in  extent.  This  fire-place, 
which  had  a  maximum  thickness  of  1.5  foot,  was  6.5  feet  (measured  from  the  under 
surface)  below  the  summit-plateau. 

The  fire-place  was  worked  by  our  diggers  throughout  its  extent,  with  the 
exception  of  a  comparatively  small  part  below  a  large  tree  on  the  center  of  the 
mound,  where,  however,  possibly  a  pit  may  have  been.  Our  digging,  which  was 
carried  to  a  depth  of  about  8.5  feet,  came  upon  no  indication  of  a  pit  elsewhere  in 
the  mound. 

Below  the  fire-place,  that  is,  6.5  feet  down,  there  seemed  to  be  an  unbroken 
base-line,  though  from  the  height  of  the  mound  one  would  expect  such  a  line  at  a 
somewhat  greater  depth.  This  base-line  was  much  less  distinctly  marked  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  mound,  where  the  fire-place  did  not  extend.  It  seemed  possible 
to  us  that  the  infiltration  of  water  through  burnt  material  may  have  accentuated 
the  color  of  the  basal  line,  which  lay  beneath  the  fire-place. 

Our  trial-holes,  passing  through  this  base-line,  went  several  feet  into  seemingly 
undisturbed  material,  river  sand  and  fine  gravel  in  places,  the  mound  itself  being 
composed  of  a  mixture  of  clay  and  sand,  the  sand  preponderating. 

Nothing  but  the  demolition  of  the  mound  could  answer  the  question  as  to  its 
former  use,  but  this  method  of  inquiry  in  this  region,  and  especially  at  a  time  when 
horses  and  mules  were  taking  refuge  on  the  mound,  was  entirely  out  of  the  question. 

MOUND  B. 

This  mound,  in  sight  in  a  northerly  direction  from  Mound  A,  was  small  and 
so  surrounded  by  water  that  its  investigation  was  not  practicable. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON   RED   RIVER.  585 

MOUND  C. 

About  one-third  mile  S.  by  W.  from  Mound  A,  in  woods,  is  another  mound 
having  a  height  of  but  2  feet  8  inches,  yet  fairly  symmetrical  owing  to  the  compar 
ative  steepness  of  its  sides  and  the  extent  of  its  level  summit-plateau  which  is  30 
feet  across,  while  the  diameter  of  the  circular  base  of  the  mound  is  but  50  feet. 
This  mound  has  an  annular  approach  (resembling  the  causeway  leading  to  Mound 
A),  its  diameter  being  41  feet,  and  the  excavated  part  23  feet.  The  height  of  the 
causeway  is  about  one  foot. 

Four  trial-holes  sunk  into  the  mound  reached  a  basal  layer  about  2.5  feet  from 
the  surface.  Further  digging  under  prevailing  conditions  was  deemed  inadvisable, 
and  the  mound  was  left  (of  course,  after  the  careful  filling  of  the  holes),  to  the 
horses  and  mules  which  were  approaching  it  for  refuge. 

MOUND  D. 

Two  hundred  yards  approximately  S.  by  W.  from  Mound  C,  also  in  woods, 
was  another  mound  of  irregularly-circular  outline.  Its  diameter  was  38  feet ;  its 
height,  2.5  feet.  In  this  mound,  which  was  composed  of  sand  with  a  slight  admix 
ture  of  clay,  a  central  excavation  18  feet  square  first  came  upon  an  interesting 
little  vessel  entirely  apart  from  any  other  object.  This  vessel,  a  bowl,  containing 
clay  of  a  degraded  white,  doubtless  used  as  a  pigment,  has  rudely-executed,  trailed 
lines  encircling  it.  Four  equidistant  projections,  which  are  hollow  and  contain 
small  objects  that  rattle  when  shaken,  are  on  the  body.  Other  and  more  inter 
esting  vessels  of  this  class  will  be  described  in  our  account  of  the  Foster  Place, 
somewhat  farther  up  Red  river. 

Six  burials  came  from  this  mound,  live  of  adults,  one  of  a  child,  each  extended 
on  the  back,1  and  all  with  the  heads  directed  S.~ 

Burials  Nos.  1,  2,  and  4  lay  together.  Burials  Nos.  1  and  2,  adults,  almost 
certainly  a  male  and  a  female  respectively,  lay  side  by  side,  about  one  foot  apart. 
Burial  No.  4,  adult,  lay  in  part  immediately  below  Burial  No.  1,  the  feet  of  Burial 
No.  4  being  under  the  pelvis  of  the  other  skeleton,  and  the  upper  part  of  the  body 
extending  beyond  it.  The  bones  of  these  skeletons  were  considerably  decayed, 
though  the  skull  of  Burial  No.  1  was  preserved,  the  only  one  saved  from  the  mound. 

These  three  burials  lay  in  a  pit,  the  dimensions  of  which,  so  nearly  as  we  could 
determine,  were:  length,  11  feet;  width  at  lower  end,  or  near  where  the  feet  of 
the  skeletons  were,  6  feet ;  the  measurement  of  the  upper  end  of  the  pit  was  pre 
vented  by  the  caving  in  of  sand. 

The  base-line  of  this  mound  was  come  upon  at  a  depth  of  5  feet  below  its 
highest  part.  This  base-line,  of  irregular  thickness,  ranging  between  2  and  6  inches, 
had  been  cut  through  by  the  pit  in  which  these  burials  lay  and  which  extended 
about  4  feet  below  the  base-line.  No  sign  of  a  pit  was  noticeable  above  the  base- 

1  One  skeleton  had  the  legs  crossed  at  the  ankles,  the  right  over  the  left. 

2  Two  skeletons  had  the  heads  directed  S.  by  E.,  the  rest  almost  due  S. 

74  JOUEX.  A.  X.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


586  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 

line.     Presumably,  the  grave  was  made  prior  to  the  building  of  the  mound,  which 
probably  was  erected  to  commemorate  the  triple  interment. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  mound  at  the  Haley  Place,  already  described  in  this 
report,  burials  had  been  made  in  the  body  of  this  commemorative  mound. 

Burials  Nos.  3  and  5,  a  child  and  an  adult  respectively,  lay  side  by  side  2.5 
feet  below  the  surface  of  the  mound.  No  pit  was  apparent,  though  it  is  quite  pos 
sible  that  at  this  depth  there  was  one  which  was  not  distinguishable. 

Burial  No.  6  lay  in  a  pit  8.5  feet  in  length  and  slightly  less  than  5  feet  in  width 
at  each  end.  This  pit,  which  was  not  traceable  above  the  base-line,  was  plainly 
apparent  cutting  through  it  and  extending  about  6  inches  below  it,  the  base-line  in 
the  part  of  the  mound  where  this  burial  lay  being  4  feet  4  inches  down.  No  doubt 
a  pit  had  been  made  in  the  mound  (since  a  grave  from  the  surface  would  be  deeper 
than  6  inches),  but  as  water  was  oozing  through  the  side  of  the  mound  when  this 
last  burial  was  encountered,  delimitation  of  a  pit  in  the  wet  sand  was  impossible. 

As  the  artifacts  found  with  the  three  deepest  burials  were  recovered  from  mud 
and  water,  sometimes  2  feet  in  depth,  a  statement  of  their  exact  positions  in  respect 
to  the  skeletons  could  hardly  be  expected,  though  where  most  of  the  objects  had 
been  placed  was  determined,  we  believe,  with  the  exception  of  the  pottery  that  lay 
apart  from  the  skeletons  and  seemed  to  have  been  placed  in  the  grave  for  the 
burials  in  common. 

With  the  burials  were  eighteen  earthenware  vessels,  nearly  all  badly  broken. 

Burial  No.  1  had  at  each  side  of  the  head  an  ear-ornament,  blunt  pins  of  shell, 
each  4.25  inches  in  length,  the  heads  directed  forward.  Adjoining  the  head  of  each 
is  a  shallow,  encircling  groove,  doubtless  to  accommodate  the  lobe  of  the  ear. 

At  the  right  wrist  of  this  burial  were  a  number  of  small  strips  of  shell,  like 
those  found  at  the  Haley  Place,  with  the  exception  that  those  from  the  Haley 
Place  are  undecorated,  while  these  have  faint  line-work  upon  them,  which  once 
probably  formed  part  of  the  decoration  on  some  larger  object,  since  it  is  not  complete 
on  the  strips. 

At  the  outer  side  of  the  left  thigh  was  a  shell  drinking-cup  wrought  from  a 
conch  (Fulgur perversuni)  from  which  a  circular  part  containing  the  spire  of  the 
shell  evidently  had  been  accidentally  broken  out.  To  repair  the  cup,  which  no 
doubt  was  of  value  so  far  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  whence  the  shells  were  brought, 
a  circular  part  containing  the  spire  had  been  cut  from  another  conch  in  such  way 
as  to  make  the  part  larger  than  the  orifice  in  the  broken  shell.  Presumably  the 
shell  from  which  this  part  was  cut  was  intended  for  a  purpose  other  than  the 
making  of  a  cup,  in  which  case  the  part  containing  the  spire  would  not  be  needed. 
Next,  four  equidistant  holes  had  been  made  in  the  broken  shell  surrounding  the 
missing  part  and  four  corresponding  perforations  had  been  drilled  in  the  portion 
intended  for  repair.  Doubtless,  then,  this  portion  had  been  placed  above  the 
missing  part  and  lashed  on  with  cord,  sinew,  or  strips  of  hide,  and  the  marginal 
parts  of  the  addition  coated  with  material  to  render  the  junction  water-proof,  prob 
ably  gum,  since  no  asphalt  was  present.  The  shell  cup  showing  the  circular 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


587 


opening  uncovered,  then  closed  with  the  shell  addition,  and  lastly  the   addition 
itself,  are  shown  in  Figs.  76,  77,  78. 

At  the  feet  of  this  burial  was  a  mass  of  gray  material,  probably  an  impure 
clay  used  as  pigment;  and  between  Burials  Nos.  1  and  2  were  two  shell  disks, each 
about  2.25  inches  in  diameter,  parallel  and  about  1.5  inch  apart.  Neither  disk  has 
decoration  or  perforation  of  any  kind.  A  number  of  similar  disks  were  found  by 
us  elsewhere  along  Red  river  in  Arkansas. 


FIG.  7<>. — Shell  cup  showing  broken  part  and  portion  of  another  shel 

(  Diaru.  of  body  6.7  inches.) 


for  repair.     Friday  Place,  Ark. 


Burial  No.  3,  the  child,  had  over  the  right  femur  a  small  bowl,  and  at  the  neck 
a  pendant  (Fig.  79)  made  from  green  slate,  to  resemble  a  lizard  in  outline.  Two 
holes  take  the  place  of  eyes  and  served  for  suspension. 

Burial  No.  5  had,  near  the  skull,  two  bottles  of  medium  size,  both  undecorated, 
and  at  the  left  femur  a  bowl.  Three  other  vessels  lay  near  the  feet. 

Burial  No.  6  had  been  favored  with  twelve  vessels  variously  placed  in  the  pit. 
At  the  outer  side  of  the  left  femur  was  a  shell  drinking-cup,  and  a  double-pointed 
bone  implement,  very  slender,  7  inches  in  length,  lay  with  part  of  a  similar  imple 
ment  about  2  feet  from  the  head. 

At  the  outer  side  of  the  right  thigh  and  extending  up  it  were  six  or  more  shell 
strips  and  one  small,  shell  disk,  all  imperforate. 

Thirty-eight  vessels  of  earthenware  came  from  this  mound,  of  which  eight 
were  unbroken,  though  some  included  under  this  head  are  cracked  to  such  an 


588 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED  RIVER. 


extent    that   their    inclusion    for   long   in    a    list   of    unbroken    vessels    is   prob 
lematical. 

The  vessels  from  this  place,  which  present  no  features  new  to  the  region,  have 
as  usual  among  them  many  upon  which  the  presence  of  soot  indicates  their  former 
use  for  culinary  purposes.  In  two  of  the  vessels  were  mussel-shells. 


FIG.  77.— Shell  cup  with  added  part  tied  in  place.     Friday  Place,  Ark.     (Diam.  of  body  6.7  inches.) 


It  is  impossible  to  say  whether  or  not  other  vessels  remain  in  Mound  D,  as  the 
increasing  height  of  the  water  around  the  mound  made  further  investigation 
impossible. 


FIG.  78. — Part  of  another  shell  used  to  repair  shell  cup.       FIG.  70.— Pendant  of  slate,  in  form  of  lizard. 
Friday  Place,  Ark.     (Diam.  2.2  inches.)  Friday  Place,  Ark.     (Full  size.) 

Vessel  No.  17.     This  bottle  (Fig.  80)  upon  which  contact  with  roots  has  con 
ferred  a  rough  appearance,  has,  surrounding  the  union  of  the  neck  with  the  body, 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON    RED   RIVER. 


589 


a  series  of  diamond-shaped,  concentric  figures  beneath  which  are  designs  based  on 
the  scroll.     The  line-work  seemingly  is  trailed. 


FIG.  80.— Vessel  Xo.  17.     Friday  I'lace,  Ark.    (Height  s.4  inches.) 

Vessel  No.  28.  This  vessel  (Fig.  81),  which  has  been  used  for  culinary  pur 
poses  as  shown  by  the  soot  upon  it,  has  an  incised  decoration  forming  scrolls  in 
connection  with  the  background  of  the  ware. 

Vessels  Nos.  6  and  33.  These  vessels  with  incised  decoration  which  has  been 
filled  in  with  white  pigment,  are  shown  in  Figs.  82,  83,  respectively. 

Vessel  No.  1.  This  bowl,  1.7  inches  in  height,  is  decorated  with  deeply-trailed, 
circular  lines  and  has  four  equidistant  projections  which  contain  objects  which 
rattle  when  shaken.  It  is  of  the  same  variety  as  is  Vessel  No.  80  described  in  our 
account  of  the  pottery  of  the  Foster  Place,  though  the  vessel  from  the  Friday  Place 
is  smaller  than  the  other. 


590 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


Fid.  81.— Vessel  No.  28.     Friday  Place,  Ark.     (Diam.  7  inches.} 


Flo.  82. — Vessel  No.  6.     Friday  Place,  Ark.     (Height  5.1  inches.) 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


591 


Flo.  83.— Vessel  No.  33.     Friday  Place,  Ark.     (Diam.  7  inches.) 

MOUND  ON  THE  MOORE  PLACE,  LAFAYETTE  COUNTY,  AKK. 

On  the  Moore  Place  (formerly  the  Murphy  Place),  belonging  to  Mr.  Henry 
Moore,  Jr.,  of  Texarkana,  Ark.  (whose  Battle  Place  and  Friday  Place  already  have 
been  described  in  this  report),  in  sight  from  the  river,  is  a  mound  part  of  which  has 
been  under  cultivation.  Portions  from  one  end  of  it  have  been  removed  for  the 
construction  of  a  levee,  and  a  road  passing  over  the  mound  gradually  has  worn 
away  and  divided  the  elevation  into  two  parts  which  usually  locally  are  referred 
to  as  two  mounds. 

The  mound,  whose  present  length  is  about  75  yards  and  whose  maximum 
width  is  35  yards,  approximately,  extends  NW.  and  SE.,  the  maximum  height, 
about  5  feet,  being  attained  at  the  northern  end,  whence  the  mound  gradually 
slopes  to  the  general  level  of  the  field. 

Though  a  few  bits  of  earthenware  and  chips  of  flint  lay  on  the  surface  of  the 
mound,  indicating  possible  occupancy  in  aboriginal  times,  trial-holes,  except  in  two 
or  three  instances  where  the  soil  was  darker,  went  through  yellow  sand.  All 
reached  undisturbed  clay.  The  sole  object  encountered  was  a  small,  flat,  flint 
pebble,  rudely  chipped. 

MOUNDS  ON  THE  FOSTER  PLACE,  LAFAYETTE  COUNTY,  ARK. 

On  the  Foster  Place,  belonging  to  Mr.  L.  A.  Foster,  of  Hope,  Ark.,  is  a  mound 
half,  or  almost  half,  eaten  away  by  the  river.  The  major  diameter  of  the  remaining 
part  is  about  50  feet;  its  height,  4  feet.  Considerable  digging  in  and  near  this 
remainder  of  the  mound  came  upon  no  aboriginal  remains  of  any  kind. 

About  200  yards  E.  from  the  digging  just  described  is  a  mound  in  the  corner 
of  a  cultivated  field,  though  but  a  small  part  of  the  mound  itself  has  been  under 


592  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON   RED   RIVER. 

cultivation.  This  mound,  which  is  irregularly  circular,  has  a  diameter  of  about  50 
feet  and  a  height  of  4.5  feet.  A  tree  14  feet  in  circumference  2.5  feet  from  the 
ground  monopolizes  the  central  part  of  the  mound. 

On  the  plowed  ground  nearby  were  many  fragments  of  pottery  and  chips  of 
flint,  but,  curiously  enough,  no  arrowheads  rewarded  a  careful  search. 

Trial-holes,  one  of  which,  SW.  of  the  central  tree,  was  7.5  feet  by  13  feet,  were 
sunk  over  the  surface  of  the  mound  and  carried  to  a  maximum  depth  of  7  feet  9 
inches  to  underlying  yellow  sand  in  search  of  sub-basal  pits.  Some  of  the  trial-holes 
came  upon  burials  in  the  southern  half  of  the  mound,  mostly  well  down  the  slope. 
Others  were  similarly  successful  in  ground  extending  from  the  southern  side  of  the 
mound  into  the  cultivated  field.  The  ground  at  that  place  was  somewhat  higher 
than  the  rest  of  the  field  and  had  risen  under  deposits  made  during  aboriginal 
occupancy.  From  this  ground  had  been  plowed  up  the  debris  we  have  referred  to 
which  lay  all  over  it  and  over  parts  of  the  field  near  it.  Human  bones  and  pottery, 
in  fragments,  were  found  in  places  on  this  ground. 

The  very  irregular  space  in  which  burials  were  found,  though  persistent  dig 
ging  was  done  for  days  in  all  parts  of  the  mound  and  its  vicinity,  was  an  area 
about  equivalent  to  35  feet  square.  Eleven  burials  were  encountered,  ten  of  adults, 
one  of  a  child,  none  with  bones  in  condition  to  preserve.  The  adult  skeletons  lay 
extended  on  the  back  ;  the  legs  of  two  of  the  skeletons  were  separated,  doubtless  to 
allow  the  introduction  of  the  pottery  vessels  which  were  found  between  the  legs. 

Six  of  the  ten  adult  skeletons  lay  with  the  skulls  directed  S.  or  within  two  or 
three  degrees  from  S.;  the  remaining  four  headed  respectively  N.,  N.  by  E.,  N.  by 
W.,  S.  by  E.,  or  very  nearly  so. 

The  burials  lay  in  pits,  which,  however,  with  one  exception,  were  difficult  to 
trace  with  exactness  as  they  were  large,  and  in  the  restricted  space  in  which  they 
had  been  placed,  sometimes  intersected  one  another.  Furthermore,  though  there 
was  much  clay  in  the  made-ground  locally,  there  was  also  much  sand,  so  that  in 
attempting  to  dig  out  the  pits  one  encountered  serious  downfalls  of  material  which 
obliterated  the  boundaries  of  the  graves. 

Though  the  lower  part  of  the  slope  of  the  mound  and  the  made-ground 
extending  from  its  southern  side  had  been  cultivated,  and  we  found  burials  there 
disturbed  by  the  plow,  nevertheless  a  pit  5  feet  8  inches  in  depth  was  discovered 
in  the  made-ground  outside  the  limits  of  the  mound  proper.  Other  burials  in  this 
ground  ranged  in  depth  between  the  superficial  ones  cited  and  one  at  a  depth  of  3 
feet  10  inches. 

A  pit  in  the  body  of  the  mound,  the  exception  we  have  noted,  began  as  to  its 
northern  boundary  near  the  southwestern  side  of  the  central  tree  and  extended 
somewhat  down  the  southern  slope.  Its  limits  were  clearly  defined,  the  material 
in  which  it  was  differing  somewhat  from  that  of  the  made-ground  of  the  extension 
from  the  southern  part  of  the  mound  in  which  most  of  the  burials  were.  Its  dimen 
sions  were :  length,  9  feet  2  inches;  width,  northern  end,  6  feet  10  inches;  southern 
end,  6  feet  8  inches.  The  depth  of  this  pit,  which  was  traceable  from  the  surface, 
was  7  feet  8  inches  to  clear,  yellow  sand. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER.  593 

On  the  bottom  of  this  pit  lay  two  adult  skeletons  (Nos.  3  and  9)  extended,  but 
in  reverse  directions,  one  (No.  3)  placed  immediately  above  the  other,  the  right 
foot  resting  on  the  left  shoulder  of  the  under  one,  the  left  foot  over  the  skull.  The 
left  foot  of  the  lower  skeleton  was  under  the  right  shoulder  of  the  upper  one,  and 
the  right  foot  lay  under  the  cranium.  The  skeletons  were  not  centrally  placed  in 
the  pit,  but  lay  somewhat  diagonally,  approaching  the  western  side  at  the  northern 
end  and  the  eastern  side  at  the  southern  end. 

All  the  burials  at  the  Foster  Place  had  been  well  provided  with  mortuary 
tributes.  In  addition  to  other  objects  the  eleven  burials  there  had  with  them  no 
fewer  than  two  hundred  and  forty-six  vessels  of  earthenware  and  probably  many 
more.  That  there  were  more  vessels  than  the  number  given  (which  is  the  total 
of  the  score  taken  when  the  vessels,  broken  and  whole,  were  removed  from  the 
graves)  is  certain,  as  from  one  confused  mass  of  broken  pottery  counted  as  one 
vessel  on  removal  several  almost  complete  vessels  afterward  were  put  together 
under  our  directions. 

Out  of  all  the  great  number  of  vessels  found,  but  sixteen  were  removed 
unbroken,  owing  to  the  deplorable  wreckage  that  had  ensued  in  consequence  of  the 
method  followed  by  the  aborigines  at  this  place  in  depositing  the  vessels.  The 
receptacles  as  a  rule,  had  not  been  arranged  singly,  or,  if  in  a  group,  at  some  little 
distance  apart,  but  had  been  heaped  together,  one  above  another  and  one  against 
another,  so  that  later,  when  the  pit  was  filled,  and  later  still  when  the  ground 
settled,  the  vessels  were  crushed  to  bits  into  and  against  each  other  and  remained 
in  layers  of  intermingled  fragments.  In  addition,  this  grinding  together  presumably 
was  the  cause  of  the  state  of  disintegration  into  which  parts  of  many  of  the  vessels 
had  passed. 

One  of  the  great  deposits,  after  having  undergone  the  crushing  process  described, 
and,  of  course,  having  been  greatly  reduced  in  bulk,  still  had  a  height  of  22  inches. 

The  deposits  of  vessels,  as  a  rule,  were  not  immediately  with  the  skeletons,  but 
presumably  often  had  been  piled  against  the  walls  of  the  pits  (in  the  corner  per 
haps),  though  generally  they  were  connected  with  the  burial  through  the  presence 
of  a  few  other  vessels  arranged  much  less  closely  between  the  deposit  and  the 
burial.  It  was  among  such  vessels  that  the  few  entire  ones  obtained  by  us  at  the 
Foster  Place  were  found. 

The  vessels  among  themselves  had  been  variously  placed.  Some  contained 
other  vessels ;  some  were  covered  by  others  inverted,  or  by  vessels  imposed  in  an 
upright  position ;  in  several  instances  shell  cups  had  been  inverted  over  the  necks 
of  bottles — all  of  which  could  be  distinguished  as  the  shattered  vessels  lay  in  the 
ground  prior  to  removal. 

In  a  few  of  the  vessels  were  badly  decayed  mussel-shells,  spoons,  placed  singly. 
In  a  few  were  decaying  bones  of  small  fish  and  of  the  gray  squirrel  (Sciunts  caro- 
linensis]  which  Professor  Lucas  has  determined  for  us.  Bones  of  this  animal  also 
were  found  in  five  or  six  instances  lying  near  burials,  though  not  enclosed  in  vessels. 

In  the  deep  pit  in  the  mound  (Burials  Nos.  3  and  9)  were  bones  of  the  Virginia 
deer  which  presumably  had  been  placed  with  the  dead,  contained  in  meat. 

75  JOURN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


594  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 

Other  vessels  held,  in  two  or  three  instances,  clay  of  a  degraded  white,  pigment 
no  doubt ;  and  several  times,  also  in  vessels,  was  found  green  pigment  which  Doctor 
Keller  describes  as  "a  mixture  of  glauconite  and  a  soft  and  friable  clay,  probably 
kaolin.  It  contains  a  large  proportion  of  iron  in  the  ferric  and  ferrous  states,  and 
a  little  potash.  The  outer  crust  is  oxidized  and  shows  some  red  spots  of  ferric 
oxide." 

As  detailed  in  our  description  of  individual  vessels  from  this  place,  a  consid 
erable  number  were  found  here  smeared  over  with  green  pigment,  not  in  connection 
with  the  decoration,  since  the  green  coating  was  often  found  over  vessels  already 
decorated  with  pigment  or  otherwise,  but  placed  as  a  coating  as  if  done  in  fulfilment 
of  some  ceremonial  rite  of  mourning.  Much  of  this  coating  was  removed  when  the 
vessels  were  washed,  but  on  a  number  of  them,  usually  bottles,  a  considerable 
amount  of  the  glauconite  pigment  still  adheres. 

Four  small  earthenware  pipes  came  from  the  Foster  Place,  one  of  which  is 
shown  in  Fig.  84.  This  pipe  resembles  one,  figured  in  this  report,  which  came 
from  the  McClure  Place,  on  which  is,  presumably, 
the  extension  present  on  a  class  of  "monitor"  pipes, 
so  called,  but  in  these  instances  pressed  up  against 
the  bowl  instead  of  projecting  horizontally  below  it. 
The  projection  shown  on  the  pipe  from  the  McClure 
Place  is  square  at  the  end,  like  some  found  in  the 
mound  on  the  Haley  Place,  while  that  on  this  pipe 
from  the  Foster  Place  is  pointed,  as  are  the  projections 
on  other  pipes  from  the  Haley  Place. 

Another   pipe    from    this    place    has    the   same 

pointed  extension  turned  up  against  the  bowl,  and  in  this  case  this  part  is  less 
broad  than  it  is  on  the  pipe  just  described,  and  resembles  more  closely  the  pointed 
projections  seen  on  some  of  the  pipes  from  the  Haley  Place. 

A  third  pipe  from  the  Foster  Place  has  a  mere  indication  of  the  upturned  pro 
jection,  which  is  a  still  more  conventionalized  treatment  of  the  projection.  This 
pipe,  also,  has  the  peculiar  "  shoulder"  against  which  the  stem  of  the  pipe  abutted, 
as  described  and  shown  in  our  account  of  the  pipe  found  at  the  McClure  Place. 

The  fourth  pipe  from  this  place  was  badly  crushed  and  much  of  it 

was  missing. 

We  have  referred  to  the  fact  that  no  arrowheads  lay  with  the  midden 

debris  on  the  surface  at  this  place.     But  few  were  found  with  the  burials — 

three  in  one  deposit,  two  singly,  all  of  flint.     One  of  the  single  arrowheads 

is  shown  in  Fig.  85. 

FIG.  85.—  In  one  deposit  were  four  masses  of  kaolin  (which  the  reader  will 

offlint.  FOS-  recall  is  a  white  clay  used  as  pigment  by  the  aborigines),  each  somewhat 
Ark.  (Full  smaller  than  a  closed  hand.  Of  this  material  Doctor  Keller  writes :  "This 

specimen  is  almost  pure  kaolin  of  the  variety  known  as  lithomarge.  The 
bulk  of  it  is  pure  white,  but  it  shows  veins  of  red  ferruginous  clay,  both  at  the  top 
and  bottom." 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


595 


From  the  Foster  Place,  with  other  objects,  came  a  small  amount  of  material 
resembling  asphalt,  as  to  which  Doctor  Keller  writes  as  follows : 

"The  little  black  pieces  marked  'Asphalt?  Burial  No.  2,  Foster  Place,  Ark.' 
are  an  asphalt-like  material  which  differs  from  true  a.sphaltum  in  that  it  is  not 
soluble  in  liquids  like  ether,  carbon  disulphide,  and  turpentine,  and  in  that  it  does 
not  melt  on  heating.  It  gives  a  pure  brown  powder  on  grinding,  and  leaves  a  per 
fectly  white  ash  on  burning.  This  ash,  which  constitutes  about  10  per  cent,  of  the 
substance,  consists  almost  entirely  of  lime  and  magnesia,  containing  traces  of  phos 
phoric  acid." 

Four  flint  pebbles,  each  about  1.5  inch  in  major  diameter,  all  slightly  chipped, 
lay  together  with  a  burial. 

With  separate  burials  were  three  small,  chisel-shaped,  ceremonial  axes,  on 
one  of  which  the  mark  where  the  handle  was  is  plainly  visible.  These  little  axes, 
of  slate,  of  silicious  rock,  of  shale,  are  respectively,  4.2  inches,  3.8  inches,  3.3  inches, 
in  length. 


FIG.  *>.— Shell  cup.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Length  5.1  inches.) 

Several  piercing  implements  of  bone,  all  badly  decayed,  were  found  singly  with 
burials,  as  was  a  deposit  of  slender,  bone  pins  somewhat  similar  to  those  to  be 
described  later  in  the  account  of  this  place,  which,  however,  are  in  a  much  better 
condition. 


596 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


The  aborigines  who  dwelt  at  the  Foster  Place  employed  shell  to  a  considerable 
extent  for  practical  use  and  for  ornament.     Pearls  placed  at  the  neck,  all  badly 


FIG.  87.— Bone  Pins.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Full  size.) 


decayed,  lay  with  three  burials;  and  shell  beads,  some  1.5  inch  in  major  diameter, 
were  encountered  seven  times,  though  not  with  that  number  of  interments. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  597 

In  thirteen  cases  small,  shell  disks  and  sections  of  shell,  usually  oblong,  were 
found,  the  disks  in  pairs,  parallel,  a  little  distance  apart.  As  a  rule  these  objects 
are  imperforate,  though  a  pair  of  disks  each  have  a  small  perforation  on  one  side, 
and  small,  single  holes  are  present  in  two  of  the  oblong  sections.  In  one  instance 
some  of  these  shell  sections  lay  near  pin-shaped  ear-ornaments,  each  4  inches  in 
length,  and  may  have  been  attached  to  them  in  one  way  or  another. 

Thirteen  shell  cups  lay  with  burials,  two  of  which  cups  merit  description.  All 
but  one  were  wrought  from  conch-shells  (Fulgur  perversum}.  The  exception  is  a 
shell  with  projecting  spines  (Murex  spinacosta}.  The  columella  and  part  of  the  body 
whorl  have  been  removed  and  perforations  for  suspension  have  been  made,  one  at 
the  beak,  one  near  the  shoulder  (Fig.  86).  The  other  cup  has  engraved  decoration 
on  the  outside,  which,  owing  to  decay  and  incrustation,  is  none  too  plainly  visible. 
The  design,  however,  consisting  of  groups  of  curved  lines,  is  rudely  executed  and 
would  not  be  striking  under  any  circumstances.  This  shell  had,  for  purposes  of 
suspension,  two  perforations  near  the  shoulder  and  one  at  the  beak.  Some  of  the 
other  shell  drinking-cups  also  were  perforated  for  suspension. 

Two  most  interesting  deposits  were  found  at  this  place. 


FIG.  88. — Pendant  made  from  a  small  Fusciolaria. 
Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Full  size.) 


FlO.  89. — Pendants  of  shell,  in  form  of  lizards. 
Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Full  size.) 


Burial  No.  4,  the  skeleton  of  an  adult,  had,  near  the  head,  a  deposit  as  follows  : 
eighteen  delicate  bone  pins  (a  selection  from  which  is  shown  in  Fig.  87),  placed 
together,  almost  vertically,  all  points  down,  some  pins,  in  places,  dyed  green  from  con 
tact  with  copper  carbonate  ;  a  small  shell  drinking-cup  ;  one  of  the  ceremonial  axes 
already  described  ;  a  globular  bead  of  marble,  about  one  inch  in  diameter  ;  a  pendant 
made  from  a  young  marine  shell  (Fasciolaria  gigantea),  carefully  smoothed  and 
perforated  for  suspension  (Fig.  88) ;  a  columella  of  a  conch  {Fulgur},  7.8  inches 
long,  with  a  perforation  at  the  lower  end,  having  still  attached  to  it  the  spire  and 
a  surrounding  portion  which,  like  the  columella,  have  been  carefully  smoothed ; 


FIG.  90.  —  Pendant  of  clay- 
stone,  in  shape  of  a  lizard,  form 
erly  coated  with  sheet-copper. 
Foster  Place,  Ark.  (Full  size.) 


FIG.    91.  —  Shell    ear-ornament.    Foster 
1'lace,  Ark.     (Full  size.) 


FIG.  92.— Blade  of  flint. 
Foster  Place,  Ark.  (Full 
size.) 


FIG.  93.— Implement  of  flint. 
Foster  Place,  Ark.     (  Full  size.) 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER.  V.i'.t 

seven  pendants  2  to  3.5  inches  in  length,  all  m.ade  from  columella>  of  the  conch, 
some  with  rude,  line  decoration  ;  one  small  ear-plug  of  shell ;  two  pendants  (  Fig.  89), 
and  part  of  another  one,  of  shell,  each  with  perforation  through  the  head  for  sus 
pension  ;  a  lizard  carved  from  limestone,  with  a  perforation  through  the  neck  for 
suspension  (Fig.  90).  This  pendant,  on  removal,  was  coated  with  sheet-copper 
which,  however,  badly  carbonated,  has  almost  entirely  Haked  from  the  stone.  This 
ornament,  when  highly  polished,  before  the  deterioration  of  the  copper,  must  have 
been  effective  indeed. 

On  each  side  of  the  head  of  this  burial  was  a  pin-shaped  ornament  of  shell, 
5.5  inches  in  length,  one  having  a  perforation  through  the  shank  just  below  the 
head,  and  both  grooved  there  to  accommodate  the  lobe  of  the  ear  (Fig.  91).  These 
ornaments,  wrought  from  the  columella  of  the  conch,  are  doubtless  of  the  kind 
described  by  Du  Pratz,  which  he  says  were  made  by  the  aborigines  from  the  axis 
of  a  large  shell  called  burgo,  the  ornament  having  a  head  somewhat  larger  than  the 
rest  to  prevent  its  slipping  through  the  perforation  of  the  ear. 

Burial  No.  10,  adult,  had  on  the  thorax  a  superb,  double-pointed,  leaf-shaped 
blade 1  of  flint,  13.6  inches  in  length,  2.6  inches  in  width,  and  but  .3  inch  in 
maximum  thickness  (Fig.  92). 

On  this  triumph  of  aboriginal  endeavor  in  stone  were  piled,  parallel,  ten  double- 
pointed  implements,  six  of  fossiliferious  chert,  four  of  flint.  These  implements,  which 
range  in  length  between  7  and  8.8  inches,  do  not  proclaim  their  former  use  by  their 
appearance.  Some  show  polish  as  by  wear.  Several  are  pointed  as  for  piercing ; 
while  some,  on  the  other  hand,  have  blunt  points.  One  of  these  latter  implements, 
shown  in  Fig.  93,  has  an  added  feature  of  interest.  In  its  making,  the  implement 
has  been  broken,  the  two  parts  have  been  completed,  and  then  marginal  notches  have 
been  made  near  the  broken  areas  to  facilitate  the  lashing  together  of  the  two  parts. 
That  the  breakage  did  not  occur  after  the  completion  of  the  implement  is  evident  from 
the  fact  that  the  faces  of  the  two  parts  at  the  line  of  fracture  do  not  correspond. 

With  the  objects  just  described  were  :  two  shell  gorgets,  one  placed  on  edge, 
the  other  lying  flat  (Figs.  94,  95) ;  a  small  mass  of  glauconite  (green  pigment) ;  a 
mass  of  red  pigment  (red  oxide  of  iron). 

Also  with  Burial  No.  10,  forming  part  of  the  deposit,  and  lying  together  at 
that  end  of  it  which  was  nearest  the  skull,  were  the  two  ear-ornaments  of  limestone, 
shown  (after  slight  restoration)  in  Fig.  96,  where  the  obverse  of  one,  presenting  a 
central  boss  surrounded  by  a  marginal  part  sloping  outward  and  upward,  and  the 
reverse  of  the  other  with  the  part  used  in  fastening  through  the  lobe  of  the  ear,  are 
illustrated.  These  ornaments,  each  with  a  maximum  diameter  of  4.4  inches,  have 
been  coated  with  sheet-copper  on  the  obverse  sides.  Much  of  this  material  had 

1  This  region  seems  to  have  possessed  able  workers  in  stone  in  aboriginal  times.  In  "The  Stone 
Age  in  North  America,"  by  W.  K.  Moorehead,  Vol.  I,  Fig.  199,  are  shown  some  beautiful  "drills"' 
(which  we  believe  to  be  arrowheads),  found  by  Mr.  W.  P.  Agee,  Jr.,  of  Hope,  Ark.,  who  writes  us  that 
these  points  (more  than  two  hundred  of  them)  were  found  by  himself  in  a  mound  in  this  region,  near 
Red  river,  in  1906.  They  were  found  in  one  lot,  all  being  placed  around  the  head  of  a  skeleton.  They 
range  in  length  between  2  and  4.5  inches. 


'-, 


FIG.  94.— Gorget  of  shell.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Full  size.) 


Fio.  95.— Shell  gorget.     Foster  1'lace,  Ark.     (Diani.  4.5  inches.) 


FIG.  96.— Ear-plugs  of  limestone,  formerly  copper-coated.    Foster  Place,  Ark.    (Full  size.; 


SOME   ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


001 


decayed  away  before  the  discovery  of  the  ornaments,  and  still  more  of  it  was  lost 
on  removal  and  in  cleaning. 

With  Burial  No.  11  was  a  pair  of  ear-ornaments  of  the  class  just  described. 
Each  of  these  ear-plugs,  also  of  limestone,  with  a  maximum  diameter  of  3.1  inches, 
bears  obversely,  in  relief,  an  eight-pointed  star  surrounding  a  central  boss  (Fig.  97). 
These  ornaments  apparently  have  been  coated  on  both  sides  with  sheet-copper, 
considerable  of  which,  greatly  carbonated,  still  remains  on  those  parts  of  the 
ornaments  that  were  exposed  to  view  when  the  ornaments  were  in  use.  These 
ear-plugs,  like  those  with  Burial  No.  10,  lay  together  near  the  shoulder,  and  were 
not  in  place  at  each  side  of  the  head. 

The  pottery  from  this  place,  the  best  of  which  has  been  cemented  together 
with  unimportant  restorations  when  needed,  includes  a  number  of  large  vessels 
coated  with  an  inferior  red,  one  of  which  is  shown  in  Plate  XLIII. 


FIG.  97. — Ear-ornaments  of  limestone,  having  had  coating  of  sheet-copper.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Full  size.) 

The  ware  of  most  of  the  better  vessels  found  is  of  high  grade  and  often  bears  a 
polished  surface.  Great  care  was  given  to  modeling  by  the  potters  of  this  place, 
and  asymmetrical  vessels  were  not  met  with  by  us,  even  cooking-vessels  being 
carefully  made.  Undecorated  vessels  were  rare,  though  many,  of  course,  have  incised 
decoration  to  only  a  limited  extent.  Much  of  the  incised  decoration  is  filled  in  with 
white  or  with  red,  and  a  few  vessels  have  a  part  of  the  line-work  filled  in  with  one 
color  and  a  part  with  the  other.  There  is  comparatively  small  variety  in  shape, 
but  the  graceful  form  of  the  vessels  leaves  little  to  be  desired.  Taking  everything 
into  consideration,  we  believe  we  are  justified  in  saying  that  the  pottery  found  at 
the  Foster  Place  is  of  a  higher  average  excellence  than  that  met  with  by  us  at  any 

76  JOURN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


602 


SOME   ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


other  site  on  Red  river,  except  possibly  Gahagan,  where,  however,  too  few  vessels 
were  found  to  justify  a  comparison  as  to  average. 

Before  proceeding  to  describe  the  vessels  from  this  place  that  offer  features  of 
exceptional  interest,  we  would  quote  from  a  letter  from  Mr.  Charles  C.  Willoughby 
in  relation  to  many  of  the  symbols  that  appear  on  the  pottery  of  Red  river  in 
Arkansas,  including  much  earthenware  from  the  Foster  Place.  Mr.  Willoughby 
writes  : 

"  The  incised  designs  on  the  water-bottles  are  very  interesting  to  me  and  I 
think  there  can  be  little  doubt  as  to  their  general  meaning.  The  sun-symbol  seems 
to  be  prominent. 


Fro.  98.— Vessel  No.  93.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  4.3  inches.) 

"  Other  cosmic  designs — the  circle  or  concentric  circles  with  four  radiating 
points  (surrounding  the  necks  of  Vessels  Nos.  20,  McClure  Place,  and  239  and  240, 
Foster  Place),  the  triskele,  the  swastika  and  the  curved  tadpole-like  figure  (near 
the  neck  of  Vessel  No.  23,  McClure  Place)  so  often  connected  with  the  eye  of  the 
horned  serpent  god,  appear  to  be  associated  with  the  universe,  and  probably  repre 
sent  the  sun,  the  four  directions,  the  winds,  the  waters,  and  their  various  gods. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER.  603 

"  These  symbols  seem  to  have  been  intimately  associated  with  the  religious 
ideas  of  various  American  tribes,  but  especially  with  those  of  the  Mississippi  basin, 
both  historic  and  prehistoric." 

Mr.  Willoughby's  paper  on  "  An  Analysis  of  the  Decorations  upon  Pottery 
from  the  Mississippi  Valley  "  ]  is  of  great  service  to  those  interested  in  the  pottery 
of  Southern  United  States. 

We  now  take  up  the  description  of  individual  vessels  from  the  Foster  Place. 

Vessel  No.  93.  There  is  shown  in  Fig.  98  an  interesting  vessel  which  we 
believe  to  be  of  a  new  variety.  The  body,  covered  with  deep,  trailed  decoration, 
is  circular  with  four  equidistant  projections,  which  are  hollow  and  contain  objects 
which  rattle  when  shaken.  The  body  of  this  vessel  rests  on  four  upright  supports, 
which  are  joined  to  a  base  roughly  annular  in  shape. 

Vessel  No.  25.  This  vessel  is  in  all  respects  similar  to  Vessel  No.  93,  except 
as  to  size,  its  height  being  3.6  inches. 


FIG.  9!).— Vessel  No.  198.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  4  inches.) 

Vessel  No.  198.  The  vessel  shown  in  Fig.  99  resembles  the  two  just  described 
as  to  the  form  of  supports  and  base.  The  body,  however,  which  is  without  the 
hollow  projections,  is  thickly  covered  with  small  knobs.  This  vessel  is  partly 
filled  with  green  pigment,  glauconite,  the  constant  use  of  which  on  vessels  at  this 
place  has  already  been  described. 

1  "  Am.  Journ.  of  Folk-Lore,"  Vol.  X,  1897. 


604 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 


FIG.  100.— Vessel  No.  115.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  7.9  inches.) 

Vessel  No.  80.  This  bowl  is  of  the  same  description  as  Vessels  Nos.  93  and 
25  with  the  exception  that  it  has  been  made  without  the  upright  supports  and  the 
annular  base.  The  base  of  this  vessel  is  flat.  The  maximum  diameter  is  9  inches. 
In  the  bowl  was  a  mass  of  light-colored  clay,  doubtless  a  pigment. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


605 


Vessel  No.  115.  We  have  here  a  bottle  of  fine,  polished,  black  ware  with  the 
usual  symbols  found  on  bottles  from  this  region,  incised  in  four  series  on  the  body. 
The  line-work  has  been  filled  in  with  red  pigment.  In  places  the  green,  glauconite 
paint,  presumably  used  in  a  ceremonial  way,  still  adheres  (Fig.  100). 


FIG.  101.— Vessel  Xo.  99.     Faster  Place,  Ark.     iHeiglit  G.4  inches.) 

Vessel  No.  99.  This  gem  (Fig.  101),  a  bottle  of  highly -polished,  black  ware, 
bearing  sun  and  cosmic  symbols,  incised,  and  having  in  each  of  the  four  interior 
circles  of  the  series  a  swastika,  is  another  example  of  the  beautiful  bottles  found  at 
the  Foster  Place,  most  of  which,  however,  as  we  have  related,  were  woefully 
shattered.  In  the  incised  line-work  is  red  pigment ;  and  over  the  bottle,  in  places, 
still  adheres  the  green  glauconite. 


606  SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON  RED    RIVER. 

Vessel  No.  1.  This  bowl  (Plate  XLII)  of  polished,  black  ware  with  white 
pigment  rubbed  into  the  incised  design,  which  consists  mainly  of  series  of  crescentic 
lines,  resembles  a  number  found  in  this  region.  In  this  particular  bowl  more  white 
pigment  than  is  usually  found  remaining  is  present  in  the  line-work. 


FIG.  102.— Vessel  Xo.  239.     Foster  Place,  Ark.    (Height  6.9  inches.)        FIG.  103.— Vessel  No.  45.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  5.8  inches.) 

Vessel  No.  239.  In  Fig.  102  is  shown  a  bottle  of  black  ware  with  an  inter 
esting,  incised  decoration  based  on  sun-symbols,  having  much  red  pigment  still 
remaining  in  the  lines.  The  bottle  is  smeared  with  green  pigment  in  places. 

Vessel  No.  45.  This  bottle  (Fig.  103),  of  fine,  polished,  black  ware,  quadri 
lateral,  has,  by  way  of  decoration,  incised  designs  of  the  class  usually  found  in  this 
region.  The  line-work  has  been  filled  in  with  red  pigment,  and  in  places  on  the 
bottle,  the  green  glauconite  still  remains. 


JOURN.  ACAD.  NAT.  SCI.  PHILAD.,  2ND  SER..  VOL  XIV. 


PLATE  XLII. 


FOSTER  PLACE,  ARKANSAS,  VESSEL  NO.   1.     (DIAMETER,  e.e  INCHES.) 


Cockayne,   Boston 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


607 


FIG.  104.— Vessel  No.  103.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  6.4  inches.) 


Vessel  No.  103.  This  graceful  bottle  (Fig.  104),  like  others  from  this  place, 
bears  incised  decoration  showing  symbols  of  the  sun  and  having  much  of  the  line- 
work  still  filled  in  with  red  pigment.  Traces  of  glauconite  pigment  are  evident  on 
the  bottle. 


608 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON  RED   RIVER. 


FIG.  105. — Vessel  No.  240.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  7  inches.) 

Vessel  No.  240.  In  this  illustration  (Fig.  105)  is  shown  another  bottle  from 
this  place  with  variations  of  the  usual  symbols,  incised.  The  line-work  has  been 
filled  with  red ;  traces  of  green  pigment  are  smeared  over  the  bottle. 


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SOME   ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


609 


FIG.  106.— Vessel  Xo.  37.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  7.4  inches.) 


Vessel  No.  56.  This  vessel  (Plate  XLIII)  is  one  of  six,  all  more  or  less  similar, 
found  in  a  grave  at  the  Foster  Place.  This  vessel,  coated  with  red  pigment  inside 
and  out,  has,  in  addition,  a  rather  scanty,  incised  decoration,  not  overcarefully  done, 
in  which  in  places  traces  of  white  pigment  remain. 

Vessel  No.  37.     This  bottle  (Fig.  106)  has  a  decoration  on  the  body  largely 


77  JOURN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


610 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


consisting  of  concentric  circles  and  on  the  neck, 
bands  of  red  alternate  with  the  yellow  of  the 
lines  in  which  traces  of  white  pigment  remain, 
polychrome  which  it  is  unusual  to  find  south 
general  use  of  kaolin  or  of  the  red  oxide  of  iron 
region  probably  accounts  for  the  presence  of  the  w 


of  encircling  bands.     On  the  bottle 

ware,  all  being  defined  by  incised 

To  this  extent  the  decoration  is 

of  the  Arkansas  river,  though  the 

in  the  line-work  of  vessels  of  this 

hite  in  the  incised  lines  of  the  bottle. 


FIG.  107. — Vessel  No.  44.     Foster  I'lace,  Ark.     (Height  4.3  inches.) 

Vessel  No.  44.  This  bowl  of  yellow  ware  (Fig.  107)  which  forms  a  back 
ground  for  the  scroll  decoration  in  bands  of  red,  presents  a  rather  unusual  feature 
in  that  the  red  decoration  is  in  relief,  the  ware  having  been  scraped  away  in  the 
intervening  areas  to  make  it  so. 


FIG.  108. —Vessel  No.  114.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Diam.  7.9  inches.) 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


611 


Vessel  No.  114.  This  graceful  bowl  (Fig.  108)  of  hard,  thin  ware  bears  incised 
decoration  in  which  still  linger  traces  of  red  pigment.  Four  equidistant  projections 
on  the  rim  give  a  pleasing  appearance,  breaking  as  they  do  the  usual  monotonous 
effect  of  the  rims  of  vessels  of  this  class. 

A  considerable  number  of  bowls  of  the  same  graceful  form  this  one  possesses, 
and  similarly  decorated  as  to  pattern,  but  varying  white  or  red  as  to  the  pigment 
in  the  lines,  and  with  a  considerable  variation  as  to  size,  came  from  this  region. 


FIG,  109.  -Vessel  No.  245.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Heigbt  6.5  inches.) 


612  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 

Vessel  No.  245.  This  vessel  (Fig.  109),  almost  a  hopeless  wreck  when  found, 
and  whose  fragments  were  mingled  with  those  of  several  other  vessels,  has  been, 
after  very  protracted  effort,  put  together  with  slight  restoration.  The  form  is 
compound — a  bowl  resting  on  another  bowl.  The  decorations,  incised,  are  common 
to  the  region,  that  of  the  lower  vessel  having  the  line-work  lilled  in  with  white 
pigment,  while  red  pigment  is  in  the  line-work  of  the  upper  vessel. 

Another  vessel  (considerable  parts  of  which  are  missing)  exactly  like  this  one 
save  that  the  placing  of  the  pigment  in  the  lines  is  reversed,  the  red  being  below 
and  the  white  above,  was  found  with  Vessel  No.  245. 


FIG.  110.— Vessel  No.  38.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  4.8  inches.) 

Vessel  No.  38.  This  vessel  (Fig.  110)  of  fine  black  ware,  has  a  compound 
form — a  bowl  set  on  the  opening  of  a  pot.  The  decoration,  incised,  which  is  on  the 
exterior  upper  part  only,  has  been  filled  in  with  white  pigment.  The  handles, 
which  confer  a  graceful  effect,  are  about  3  inches  in  length  and  are  for  adornment 
solely  as  the  perforations  in  them  are  but  partial. 

Vessel  No.  128.  In  Fig.  Ill  is  shown  a  bowl  from  which  part  is  missing. 
The  incised  and  punctate  decoration  has  been  filled  in  with  white  pigment,  much 
of  which  remains.  There  is,  on  one  side  (and  doubtless  a  similar  one  was  present 
on  the  opposite  side)  a  figure  of  a  quadruped  modeled  in  relief.  The  tail  is  missing. 

Vessel  No.  242.  This  bottle  (Plate  XLIV),  a  gem  of  the  potters'  art,  quadri 
lateral,  of  highly-polished,  black  ware,  bears  a  carefully-executed  design  in  which 
the  sun-symbol  has  a  prominent  part.  The  line-work  has  been  filled  in  with  red 
pigment  which  remains  in  almost  perfect  condition.  This  beautiful  bottle,  without 
a  blemish  of  any  kind,  was  found  under  favorable  conditions,  it  having  been  placed 
alone  in  one  part  of  the  grave  some  distance  above  the  burial. 


JOURN.  ACAD.  NAT.  SCI.  PHILAD.,  2ND  SER.,  VOL.  XIV. 


PLATE  XLIV. 


FOSTER  PLACE,  ARKANSAS,  VESSEL  NO.  242.     (HEIGHT,  e.i  INCHES.) 


Cockayne,   Boston 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


613 


FIG.  111.— Vessel  No.  128.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (I)iani.  4.9  inches.) 


FIG.  112. — Vessel  Xo.  17.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  4  inches.) 


Vessels  Nos.  17,  21,  42,  139,  178,  shown  in  Figs.  112,  113,  114,  115,  116, 
respectively,  are  fair  examples  of  the  form  and  of  the  incised  and  punctate  decor 
ation  of  some  of  the  vessels  from  the  Foster  Place. 


614 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON  RED    RIVER. 


FIG.  113.— Vessel  Xo.  21.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Diam.  4.3  inches.) 


FIG.  114.— Vessel  No.  42.     Foster  Tlace,  Ark.     (Height  4.6  inches.) 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER.  615 


FIG.  115.— Vessel  No.  139.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  4.5  inches.) 


FIG.  116.— Vessel  No.  178.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  3.5  inches.) 


610  SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON  RED    RIVER. 


FIG.  117.— Vessel  No.  96.     Foster  Place.  Ark.     (Height  7.4  inches.) 

i 

Vessel  No.  90.  This  striking  bottle  of  beautiful,  polished,  black  ware,  with 
wide  neck  flaring  near  the  rim  (Fig.  117)  has  a  decoration  based  on  the  scroll  and 
filled  in  with  punctate  markings. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON   KED   RIVER.  617 

Vessel  No.   81.     This  vessel  of  yellow  ware  and  bearing  carefully-executed 
line  and  punctate  decoration  (Fig.  118),  has  the  shape  of  many  cooking-vessels  from 


this  region  but  shows  no  effect  of  fire. 


FIG.  118.— Vessel  No.  81.    Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  6.7  inches.) 

Vessels  Nos.  14,  83,  218,  shown  in  Figs.  119,  120,  121,  respectively,  are 
cooking-vessels  displaying  the  care  bestowed  on  many  of  this  class  in  the  region  of 
Red  river  in  Arkansas. 

Vessel  No.  118.  This  vessel,  somewhat  resembling  an  inverted,  truncated 
cone  in  shape,  is  coated  with  red  pigment  inside  and  out.  There  is  a  small  shoulder 
below  the  rim  on  which  is  rude,  incised  decoration  of  parallel  lines.  The  rim  is 
slightly  scalloped.  Height  8.7  inches. 

78  JOURN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


618 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


But  a  few  feet  away  from  the  mound  just  under  description  at  the  Foster 
Place  is  another  which  has  been  somewhat  larger  than  its  neighbor,  but  much  of  it 
has  been  scooped  out  and  carried  away  for  use  on  the  nearby  levee.  Numerous 
trial-holes  put  down  in  the  remainder  of  this  mound  and  around  it  were  without 
success. 


FIG.  119.— Vessel  No.  14.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  5.4  inches.) 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


619 


FlO.  120. —Vessel  No.  83.     Foster  Place,  Ark.     (Height  6  inches.) 


FIG.  121.— Vessel  Xo.  213.     Foster  Place.  Ark.     (Height  7.4  inches.) 


620  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON    RED   RIVER. 

MOUND  NEAR  DOOLEY  FERRY,  HEMPSTEAD  COUNTY,  ARK. 

In  sight  from  Dooley  Ferry,  on  property  belonging  to  Judge  J.  M.  Hanegan, 
of  Hope,  Ark.,  is  a  mound  much  worn  and  washed,  and  having  a  large  excavation 
in  its  upper  part,  the  work  of  previous  diggers.  It  is  hard  to  say  what  the  original 
shape  of  the  mound  has  been.  Its  present  height  is  about  7  feet,  its  diameter  85 
feet.  No  sign  of  bone  was  seen  where  the  former  digging  had  been,  nor  was  any 
thing  observed  indicating  the  presence  of  an  aboriginal  site  on  the  surface  of  the 
adjacent  field.  Some  digging  in  the  remaining  part  of  the  mound  showed  clay  of  a 
raw,  red  appearance.  The  investigation  was  not  pressed. 

MOUNDS  ON  THE  CRENSHAW  PLACE,  MILLER  COUNTY,  ARK. 

The  Crenshaw  Place,  of  which  Mr.  William  Nichol,  of  Pine  Bluff,  Ark.,  is  the 
owner,  has  a  considerable  reputation  for  aboriginal  relics  found  there,  especially 
after  the  great  flood  which  swept  over  Red  river  valley  in  1908. 

This  plantation  was  in  use  for  pasturage  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  so  that  surface 
debris  from  midden  sites  was  less  evident  than  otherwise  it  might  have  been. 
Nevertheless  in  places  were  broken  pottery,  flint  pebbles,  and  a  few  arrowheads. 
On  the  place  are  six  mounds,  shown  in  the  plan  (Fig.  122),  designated  by  letters 
for  greater  convenience  in  description. 

MOUND  A. 

Mound  A,  oblong  with  a  summit-plateau  in  the  center  of  which  is  a  large  tree, 
is  about  10  feet  in  height.  It  present  outline  is  much  impaired,  but  probably  it 
once  was  square.  Its  present  basal  diameter  is  150  feet,  approximately.  The 
summit-plateau,  however,  is  80  feet  in  diameter  N.  and  S.,  and  but  52  feet  E.  and  W. 
The  mound  yielded  no  indication  of  having  been  used  for  purposes  other  than  dom 
iciliary.  The  digging,  however,  was  not  carried  to  an  extent  to  determine  the 
matter. 

MOUND  B. 

Mound  B,  about  5.5  feet  in  height,  was  furrowed  by  rain  in  places.  Irregu 
larly  circular  as  to  the  base,  its  diameter  was  about  85  feet.  It  was  composed  of  a 
mixture  of  clay  and  sand,  in  which  the  clay  greatly  predominated.  About  3  feet 
from  the  surface  this  material  was  so  hard  that  a  pick  was  needed  to  remove  it. 
Under  such  conditions  one  can  imagine  the  state  in  which  earthenware  in  it  was 
recovered.  This  mound  was  fairly  riddled  with  trial-holes,  some  of  which,  coming 
upon  burials,  were  greatly  enlarged. 

Five  burials  were  encountered  (Nos.  1  to  5,  inclusive). 

Burial  No.  1.  This  burial,  the  skeleton  of  an  adult  at  full  length  on  the  back, 
heading  N.,  lay  at  a  depth  of  slightly  more  than  2  feet.  The  bones  were  badly 
decayed,  as  were  all  in  this  mound,  none  being  in  a  condition  to  save.  With  the 
burial  were  two  vessels  of  earthenware. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER. 


621 


Burial  No.  2  consisted  of  a  layer  of  bones,  including  four  skulls.     With  the 
deposit  was  a  vessel  of  earthenware  and  a  celt  of  quartxite,  4  inches  in  length. 


A 

1181 


. 

: 
B 


•"/.•'••vv 


Scale  in  jeet 


FIG.  12!!. — Plan  of  mounds.    Crenshaw  Place,  Ark. 

Burial  No.  3  was  a  layer  of  bones  which,  beginning  in  the  slope  of  the  mound, 
at  a  depth  of  2  feet  9  inches  from  the  surface,  continued  in  and  ended  3  feet  9 
inches  below  it.  This  great  deposit  of  bones,  which  included  seventeen  skulls,  was 
without  arrangement  save  that  the  skulls  were  in  two  groups,  one  at  the  north 
western,  and  one  at  the  southwestern,  margin  of  the  deposit;  and  that  in  one  place 
there  had  been  an  attempt  to  pile  the  long-bones  parallel  and  horizontal. 


, 

ID 


622  SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON  RED    RIVER. 

Along  the  northeastern  part  of  the  deposit  of  bones  were  arranged  ten  earthen 
ware  vessels,  one  of  which  contained  a  mass  of  kaolin. 

Burial  No.  4  was  a  skull  and  a  number  of  other  bones  thrown  together  without 
order,  3  feet  from  the  surface. 

Burial  No.  5,  the  remains  of  the  skeleton  of  an  adult  extended  on  the  back, 
the  head  directed  SE.  by  S.,  lay  3.5  feet  from  the  surface.  With  this  burial 
were :  six  earthenware  vessels,  one  containing  kaolin,  and  a  small  celt  which  we 
parted  with  before  determining  its  material. 

One  pottery  vessel  was  found  unassociated,  as  were  four  others,  placed  together 
and  having  with  them  many  pebbles  and  the  decaying  remains  of  a  shell  (tortoise 
or  turtle),  seemingly  a  rattle.  Beyond  question  the  bones  belonging  to  a  burial 
with  which  these  vessels  had  been  had  disappeared  through  decay. 

The  earthenware  vessels  from  this  mound  (Nos.  1  to  24,  inclusive),  many  of 
which  are  broken,  are  of  coarser  ware  than  is  generally  found  in  this  region,  and 
the  incised  decoration,  when  present,  does  not  reach  the  standard  of  that  usually 
found  along  Red  river  in  Arkansas. 

The  burials  in  this  mound  were  comparatively  shallow,  and  in  the  main  the 
soil  above  them  was  moist.  Three  of  the  burials,  moreover,  lay  in  different  planes, 
their  graves  intersecting  or  intersected,  so  that  with  one  exception  we  were  unable 
to  trace  the  limits  of  pits. 

Mouxi)  C. 

This  mound  has  been  quadrangular,  but  previous  digging  into  its  sides  and 
wash  of  water  have  greatly  impaired  its  outlines.  Diameters  measured  in  two 
directions  were  each  127  feet;  but  the  summit-plateau  in  the  same  directions,  WSW. 
and  ENE.,  NNW.  and  SSE.,  is,  respectively,  45  feet  and  54  feet  across. 

Eight  trial-holes  were  sunk  from  the  summit-plateau,  some  of  which  were  con 
siderably  enlarged.  These  holes  came  upon  three  burials  (Nos.  6  to  8,  inclusive). 

Burial  No.  6,  which  was  5.5  feet  from  the  surface,  consisted  of  a  skull  only,  the 
rest  of  the  skeleton  presumably  having  disappeared  through  decay.  It  was 
impossible  to  determine  if  the  burial  lay  in  a  pit,  the  ground  surrounding  it,  clayey 
sand,  showing  no  difference  between  it  and  the  material  composing  most  of  the  rest 
of  the  mound.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  a  pit  did  not  extend  from  the  surface 
down,  as  a  dark  layer,  entirely  undisturbed  at  this  place,  covered  that  part  of  the 
surface  of  the  plateau  where  this  burial  was  found,  to  a  depth  of  2  feet. 

At  the  left  of  the  skull  were  fragments  of  sheet-copper,  and  a  very  small  object 
of  the  same  material,  elliptical  in  outline  and  concavo-convex.  This  object,  with 
others  once  probably  like  it  but  broken  when  found,  perhaps  had  been  attached  to 
some  kind  of  head-dress. 

Burial  No.  7.  This  burial,  the  badly-decayed  skeleton  of  an  adult,  at  full 
length  on  the  back,  heading  SE.,  lay  at  a  depth  of  4  feet  10  inches.  Near  the  skull 
was  a  coarse  cooking-pot  (Vessel  No.  25).  We  could  reach  no  conclusion  as  to 
whether  or  not  this  burial  lay  in  a  grave-pit. 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED    RIVER.  623 

Burial  No.  8  was  a  full-length  skeleton  of  an  adult,  very  badly  decayed,  the 
head  directed  SSE.  The  skeleton  lay  at  a  depth  of  4  feet  in  material  that  gave  no 
satisfactory  evidence  as  to  having  been  dug  and  filled  in. 


MOUND  D. 

This  rnound,  entirely  of  .sand,  had  lost  portions  by  the  work  of  a  previous 
digger  who  had  used  a  scoop  drawn  by  horses.  There  is  an  irregular  remainder, 
50  feet  by  30  feet  in  diameter  and  6  feet  high.  This  altitude  probably  represents 
the  height  of  the  mound  previous  to  the  tlood,  as  it  is  not  likely  the  water  rose 
above  this  seemingly  central  part  of  the  mound. 

Trial-holes  were  sunk  all  over  the  remainder  of  the  mound  and  also  were 
put  down  in  numbers  in  parts  from  which  much  had  been  washed  away,  in  the 
hope  of  coming  upon  burials  that  were  too  deep  to  have  been  affected  by  the  wash. 
In  point  of  fact  such  burials  were  found. 

Five  burials,  Nos.  9  to  13,  inclusive,  were  encountered  in  this  mound,  the 
maximum  depth  being  5  feet. 

Burial  No.  9.  This  burial,  represented  only  by  the  crowns  of  teeth,  was 
associated  with  four  vessels  of  earthenware,  one  of  which  contained  a  mass  of  white 
and  of  red  clay  mingled.  This  mass  did  not  cover  the  lower  part  of  the  vessel  as 
is  usually  the  case  when  pigment  is  found  in  vessels  in  the  mounds,  but  seemed  to 
have  been  molded  into  shape  before  its  deposit.  The  dimensions  of  the  mass  were 
5.5  inches  by  4  inches  by  1.75  inch.  Just  outside  the  opening  of  the  containing 
vessel,  which  lay  on  its  side,  was  a  mass  of  similar  material,  of  like  size  and  shape. 

Burial  No.  10.  A  deposit  of  cremated  remains  14  inches  by  5  inches  in 
extent.  Calcined  fragments  were  found  of  a  si/e  to  show  that  the  bones  had 
belonged  to  the  skeleton  of  an  adult. 

Burial  No.  11.  This  burial,  consisting  of  two  skulls  about  one  foot  apart,  had 
no  other  bones,  nor  were  any  artifacts  present.  The  skulls  lay  near  the  surface  in 
a  part  of  the  mound  that  had  been  subjected  to  wash,  and  perhaps  had  been  dis 
lodged  by  the  water  and  again  covered  with  a  deposit  of  sand.  About  one  foot 
from  one  of  the  skulls  was  a  slender  arrowhead  of  flint. 

Burial  No.  12.  The  remnants  of  a  skeleton  heading  SSE.  The  ribs  had  entirely 
disappeared,  as  had  many  other  parts.  Near  the  left  side  of  the  skull  were  nine 
delicate  arrowheads  of  flint  whose  arrangement  was  not  determined  owing  to 
disturbance  in  removal. 

Burial  No.  13  had  been  a  skeleton,  presumably,  though  no  other  bones  were 
found  with  the  cranium,  near  which  were  two  flint  arrowheads  and  an  earthenware 
vessel. 

Two  vessels  were  found  apart  from  human  remains. 

The  seven  vessels  from  Mound  D  (Nos.  26  to  32,  inclusive)  were  of  a  coarse, 
heavy  ware,  and  almost  without  decoration.  Most  of  them  were  badly  broken. 


624 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON  RED   RIVER. 

MOUXD  E. 


This  mound  is  in  woods  that  adjoin  the  field  in  which  the  other  mounds  are. 
Its  height  is  7  feet.  The  diameter  of  its  circular  base  is  about  85  feet.  The 
mound,  which  was  carefully  dug  into,  yielded  no  indication  of  having  been  used 
for  burial  purposes. 


FIG.  123. — Vessel  No.  20.     Creushaw  Place,  Ark.     (Height  7.5  inches.) 

MOUXD  F. 

Mound  F  had  been  badly  washed  by  rain,  perhaps  coursing  through  unfilled 
diggings  into  its  sides.  It  is  elliptical  in  outline  of  base  and  is  almost  pointed.  Its 
height  is  21  feet.  Its  basal  diameter  N.  by  W.  and  S.  by  E.  is  84  feet.  The 
diameter  taken  through  the  mound  at  right  angles  to  the  foregoing  is  106  feet. 

This  mound,  which  seems  to  be  a  mixture  of  sand  and  clay,  largely  clay,  gave 
no  indication  of  superficial  burials.  Its  size  is  such  that  an  attempt  to  investigate 
the  base  would  have  involved  the  destruction  of  the  mound. 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


G25 


Considerable  digging  in  the  level  ground  where  midden-debris  was  seen  on  the 
surface,  yielded  only  negative  results. 

A  number  of  small  arrowpoints,  all  surface  finds,  were  rudely  made,  some 
being  hardly  more  than  flakes  chipped  into  the  outline  of  arrowpoints,  and  differed 
materially  from  the  points  found  with  burials  at  this  place,  upon  the  making  of 
which  much  care  had  been  bestowed. 

The  pottery  from  the  Crenshaw  Place,  thirty-two  vessels  in  all,  as  stated,  is  of 
inferior  quality  as  a  rule.  The  following  vessels  merit  special  mention. 

Vessel  No.  20.  This  bottle,  coated  exteriorly  with  red  pigment  and  having 
in  relief  two  li/.ard-like  figures  on  opposite  sides,  well  illustrates  the  saying  that 
misfortunes  never  come  singly,  inasmuch  as  the  head  of  one  lizard  was  lost  in 
aboriginal  times  previous  to  the  interment  of  the  vessel,  and  that  of  the  other 
disappeared  under  the  blow  of  a  spade  in  the  hands  of  one  of  our  diggers  (Fig.  123). 


Kid.  121. — Vessel  Xo.  21.     Crenshaw  Place.  Ark.     (Height  4.3  inches.) 


Vessel  No.  21.  This  vessel  (Fig.  124)  has  incised  and  punctate  decoration  in 
combination  with  series  of  circular  markings,  perhaps  conferred  with  the  aid  of  an 
end  of  a  reed.  There  are  holes  for  suspension  on  two  opposite  sides  below  the  rim. 

79  JOURX.  A.  X.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


626 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   EIVEE. 


FIG.  125. — Vessel  No.  23.     Crenshaw  Place,  Ark.     (Height  4.1  inches.) 


FIG.  126.— Vessel  No.  6.     Crenshaw  Place,  Ark.     (Height  5.1  inches.) 


SOME   ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  627 

Vessel  No.  23.  This  bowl  has  a  rude  scroll  decoration  in  addition  to  circles 
and  triangles  filled  in  with  imprints  similar  to  those  on  the  vessel  just  described. 
The  ware  is  brown  and  of  inferior  quality.  The  upper  part  of  the  body  is  quadri 
lateral  and  the  rim  rises  equidistantly  in  four  places  (Fig.  125). 


FIG.  127. — Vessel  Xo.  11.     Crenshaw  Place,  Ark.     (Height  9.7  inches.) 

Vessels  Nos.  6  and  11,  shown  in  Figs.  120,  127,  respectively,  are  examples  of 
cooking-vessels  from  this  place. 


628  SOME   ABOEIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED   EIVER. 

MOUNDS  ox  THE  DANIELS  PLACE,  HEMPSTEAD  COUNTY,  ARK. 

In  woods,  on  the  Daniels  Place,  for  which  Mr.  Steve  Carrigan,  who  has  shown 
many  courtesies  to  the  Academy,  is  agent,  but  a  short  distance  in  from  the  river, 
is  a  mound,  quadrangular  with  rounded  corners,  about  12  feet  in  height;  it,  how 
ever,  appears  of  much  greater  height  when  viewed  from  a  deep  depression  nearby, 
whence  came  the  material  for  its  making. 

The  mound  NNE.  and  SSW.  has  a  basal  diameter  of  about  210  feet,  of  which 
155  feet  is  covered  by  the  summit-plateau.  In  width  the  mound  has  a  diameter  of 
105  feet,  the  summit-plateau  in  the  same  direction  being  60  feet. 

Toward  the  southern  end  of  this  mound,  built  upon  the  summit-plateau,  is  a 
mound,  circular  in  outline,  with  a  basal  diameter  of  35  feet.  The  height  of  this 
little  mound,  which  is  almost  entirely  of  sand,  while  the  great  mound  seemed  to 
have  much  more  clay  than  sand  in  its  composition,  is  3  feet.  This  small  mound, 
which  we  attacked  with  great  expectations,  yielded  nothing  whatever.  Trial-holes 
in  the  large  mound  were  equally  unsuccessful. 

A  few  yards  distant  from  the  northern  end  of  the  great  mound  is  an  irregularly- 
circular  one  slightly  more  than  4  feet  in  height,  with  a  diameter  of  about  70  feet. 
This  mound  has  a  circular  summit-plateau  32  feet  in  diameter. 

Five  or  six  yards  from  the  southern  end  of  the  great  mound  is  another  mound, 
somewhat  smaller  than  the  one  at  the  northern  end.  Thorough  digging  into  both 
these  mounds  was  without  success. 

In  the  woods,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  northern  end  of  the  great  mound, 
were  three  small  ones,  the  largest  of  which  had  a  diameter  of  35  feet  and  a  height 
of  2.5  feet.  These  mounds  were  carefully  dug  but  gave  no  evidence  of  having  been 
used  for  burial  purposes. 

MOUNDS  ON  THE  JONES  PLACE,  HEMPSTEAD  COUNTY,  ARK. 

On  the  Jones  Place,  which  belongs  to  Dr.  H.  L.  B'Shers,  of  Fulton,  Ark.,  are 
three  small  mounds,  near  one  another  (two  being  almost  contiguous),  and  all  in 
sight  from  the  landing.  On  one  is  a  dwelling  and  an  outhouse;  the  other  two  have 
been  largely  dug  into. 

The  mound  occupied  by  the  buildings  was  not  investigated  by  us,  and  the 
less-dug  of  the  two  other  mounds  yielded  nothing  to  our  search,  though  trial-holes 
were  put  into  it  and  into  some  elevated  ground  extending  from  it  into  an  adjacent, 
cultivated  field,  on  which  was  some  aboriginal  debris  from  dwelling-sites.  The 
other  mound,  circular,  about  55  feet  in  basal  diameter,  had  centrally  a  circular 
excavation  25  feet  in  diameter  at  the  top,  but  converging.  This  excavation,  made, 
we  are  told,  by  a  former  owner  of  the  property,  was  not  altogether  deep,  though 
diggings  of  small  diameter  extended  well  down  in  places. 

The  original  height  of  this  mound  was  indeterminate  as  the  excavation  referred 
to  had  been  made  long  enough  in  the  past  to  allow  the  soil  thrown  out  at  that  time 
to  become  covered  with  vegetation  and  to  appear  similar  in  all  respects  to  the  mound 
itself.  Probably  the  original  height  of  the  mound  was  between  3  and  4  feet. 


SOME    ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  629 

Considerable  digging  in  this  mound  came  upon  three  burials,  the  depths  of 
which  were  not  taken  as  the  interments  lay  below  that  part  of  the  mound  where 
the  previous  digging  had  been.  These  burials  were  all  deposits  of  cremated  human 
remains,  respectively:  4  feet  by  (i  feet,  by  3  inches  in  thickness;1  2  feet  3  inches 
by  3  feet  9  inches,  and  4  inches  thick;  1  foot  1!  inches  by  1  foot  10  inches,  and  3 
inches  thick.  These  burials,  seemingly,  had  been  cremated  in  place,  as  charcoal 
and  much  clay  hardened  and  discolored  by  fire  lay  with  them.  Whole  bones  lay 
in  the  deposit  in  places.  The  bones  evidently  had  been  exposed  to  great  heat  and 
fell  into  fragments  on  removal.  In  one  instance  (the  bones  of  a  right  arm  extended) 
the  same  degree  of  heat  had  not  been  applied  throughout.  The  upper  part  of  the 
hurnerus  was  calcined,  and  the  soil  above  and  below  it  showed  the  effect  of  intense 
heat.  Toward  the  lower  part  of  the  arm,  however,  the  heat  had  been  less,  as 
shown  by  the  condition  of  the  bone  and  of  the  surrounding  soil,  and  also  by  the 
presence  of  charcoal.  The  bones  of  the  hand  were  but  slightly  burnt;  the  soil  was 
dark  rather  than  red  and  the  material  which  had  served  as  fuel  was  only  charred. 

With  one  deposit  were  a  calcined  bit  of  deer  antler  and  calcined  bones  not 
human.  With  another  deposit  was  a  cooking-pot  in  fragments.  The  deposits  of 
calcined  bones  lay  on  the  same  level  in  the  mound.  Twenty-eight  inches  below 
their  level,  apart,  were  two  rude  vessels  intended  for  culinary  purposes. 

MOUNDS    NEAR    THE    JONES    PLACE,    HEMJ'STEAD    COUNTV,    ARK. 

About  one-half  mile  N.  by  E.  from  the  mounds  on  the  Jones  Place,  on  property 
belonging  to  Mr.  J.  B.  Shults,  of  Fulton,  Ark.,  in  woods,  near  a  "lake",  a  former 
course  of  Red  river,  are  three  mounds  in  sight  of  one  another  and  in  full  view  from 
the  road.  One  of  these  mounds  had  been  badly  dug  into  in  two  places,  but  the 
remaining  two  seemingly  were  intact. 

Mouxn  A. 

This  mound,  the  westernmost  of  the  group,  previously  untouched,  was  42  feet 
across  its  circular  base  and  had  a  height  of  3  feet  3  inches.  This  measurement, 
however,  presumably  was  made  from  where  there  had  been  some  filling  in  by  wash 
of  water,  as  a  measurement  taken  in  the  course  of  digging,  from  the  summit  of  the 
mound  to  an  unmistakable  base-line,  showed  the  original  height  to  have  been  4.5 
feet. 

The  mound  was  made  of  a  mixture  of  sand  and  clay.  Eight  trial-holes,  most 
of  which  were  greatly  enlarged  later  in  the  digging,  all  came  upon  the  dark  basal 
layer  to  which  reference  has  been  made.  The  holes  in  the  central  part  of  the 
mound  showed  on  this  layer  the  presence  of  charcoal  and  burnt  clay.  One  hole 
near  the  center,  in  addition  to  the  burnt  material,  came  upon  an  earthenware 
bottle  lying  on  its  side  upon  the  layer. 

1  A  part  of  this  deposit  had  been  removed  by  the  previous  digging. 


630 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON  RED    RIVER. 


The  central  trial-hole,  at  a  depth  of  4.5  feet,  laid  bare  a  deposit  of  very  fine, 
gray  ashes,  carefully  heaped  together,  evidently  the  remains  of  a  cremation  of  a 
human  body,  though  no  particle  of  bone  found  in  the  deposit  was  of  a  size  to  give 
any  indication  as  to  this.  A  considerable  quantity  of  the  deposit,  however,  was 
examined  by  Doctor  Keller,  who  says  that  it  consists  largely  of  bone  ash  and 
contains  large  proportions  of  carbonate  and  phosphate  of  lime. 

This  deposit,  which  was  irregular  in  outline, 
was,  roughly  speaking,  21  inches  by  15  inches;  the 
thickness  of  most  of  it  was  1.75  inch,  though  a  kind 
of  pocket  included  in  the  deposit,  4.5  inches  in  diam 
eter,  had  a  depth  of  13  inches. 

Above  the  deposit  and  extending  out  around  it 
in  all  directions  charcoal  and  masses  of  clay  Jiad  been 
piled.  This  material  had  been  placed  on  the  undis 
turbed  basal  layer,  which  was  evidently  the  original 
surface  before  the  mound  was  built.  The  thickest 
part  of  this  superimposed  heap  was  16  inches. 

Much  of  the  clay  showed  the  former  presence  in 
it  of  fibrous  vegetable  material  which,  no  doubt,  had  fulfilled  the 
same  office  for  the  clay  that  hair  does  for  mortar.  Also  on  the 
clay  were  imprints  of  posts.  Presumably  this  burnt  clay  was  what 
remained  of  a  wigwam  after  burning,  as  it  is  well  known  that 
among  some  of  the  aborigines  the  burning  of  the  house  of  a  deceased 
occupant  was  part  of  the  funeral  obsequies. 

In  the  deposit  of  gray  ashes,  and  outside  of  it  in  the  burnt 
clay,  were  three  short,  piercing  implements  of  calcined  bone  and 


FIG.  129.— Head 
of  bone  pin.  Near 
Jones  Place,  Ark. 
(Full  size.) 


FIG.  130. — Bowl  covering  cremated  remains.     Near  Jones  Place,  Ark.     (Diam.  7  inches.) 


FIG.  128.— Bone 
pin  with  head  rep 
resenting  a  hatch 
et.  Near  Jones 
Place,  Ark.  (Full 
size.) 


many  fragments  of  long  pins  of  the  same  material.  The  three  entire  piercing 
implements  are  each  about  1.5  inch  in  length  and  have  shallow  notches  on  one 
side  of  the  upper  end.  Out  of  the  fragments  one  whole  pin  has  been  put  together 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON   RED   RIVER. 


631 


having  a  head  representing  a  celt  let  into  a  handle.  This  handsome  specimen  is 
shown  in  Fig.  128.  The  head  of  another  pin  (Fig.  129)  unfortunately  has  lost  the 
extremities  of  two  expanding  arms  which  doubtless  represented  some  ceremonial 
implement.  These  pointed  implements  of  bone,  for  some  reason,  have  withstood 
the  heat  better  than  did  the  human  skeletal  remains. 

Lying  on  top  of  the  deposit  of  ashes  were  two  ear-plugs  of  shell  badly  broken 
by  heat,  though  the  complement  of  parts  was  together.  These  ear-plugs  are  annular 
and  of  the  kind  around  the  periphery  of  which  is  a  groove  enabling  the  ornament, 
as  it  were,  to  button  into  the  lobe  of  the  ear. 

Inverted  and  pressed  down  into  the  heap  of  ashes  and  filled  with  the  material 
was  a  bowl  of  about  one  pint  capacity  (Fig.  130),  somewhat  crushed  but  having  all 
the  parts  in  place. 

Under  the  clay,  at  the  edge  of  the  ash  deposit,  were  twenty-eight  delicate 
arrowheads  of  Hint,  many  serrated.  Most  of  these  points,  which  range  between  .8 
inch  and  1.25  inch  in  length,  are  shown  in  Fig.  131.  They  were  not  arranged  in  a 


44MM4 


Fio.  131. — Arrowheads  of  Bint.     Near  Jones  Place.  Ark.     (Full  size.) 

pile,  but  lay  together  within  a  circumscribed  space.  Five  are  imperfect,  perhaps 
through  the  somewhat  rough  sifting  necessary  to  recover  them  from  the  material  in 
which  they  were,  or  possibly  through  the  effect  of  heat. 

Under  the  burnt  clay  were  widely  scattered  fragments,  which,  collected  and 
put  together,  proved  to  be  a  chisel-shaped  ceremonial  axe  of  quart/.ite,  8.1  inches 
in  length.  Half  of  a  similar  object,  also  of  quartzite,  was  found  in  the  material 
thrown  out  from  this  deposit  in  the  course  of  digging. 

Around  and  over  the  deposit  of  ashes  were  fragments  belonging  to  a  number 
of  earthenware  vessels,  including  several  bottles,  but  presumably  all  the  fragments 
were  not  present  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  deposit  of  ashes,  since  everything  taken 
from  there  by  us  was  carefully  sifted  without  finding  sufficient  parts  to  put  the 
vessels  together.  As,  however,  parts  of  the  same  vessel  often  were  separated  by  a 
considerable  distance,  it  is  possible  that  fragments  of  vessels  not  found  lay  farther 
out  in  the  mound  than  our  digging  extended. 


632 


SOME    ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON  RED    RIVER. 


Possibly  the  vessels  originally  had  been  placed  around  the  body  before  its 
cremation  and,  later,  when  material  was  collected  to  pile  over  the  deposit  of  ashes, 
some  parts  of  the  vessels  were  gathered  up  with  the  clay  while  other  parts  may 
have  been  left  behind.  Lumps  of  burnt  clay  were  found  scattered  at  considerable 
distances  from  the  deposit  of  ashes.  The  arrowheads  and  the  ear-plugs  must  have 
been  placed  with  the  deposit  after  the  cremation,  since  they  were  not  separated,  as 
they  would  have  been  had  they  been  swept  up  with  the  cremated  remains. 

A  part  of  a  most  unusual  object  of  earthenware  was  found  in  four  widely  sep 
arated  fragments.  These  fragments,  when  put  together,  form  the  handle  of  a  ladle, 
with  a  small  part  of  the  bowl.  This  handle,  of  heavy  ware,  14.5  inches  in  length 
and  1.25  inch  in  maximum  diameter,  is  hollow,  circular  in  transverse  section,  and 
tapers  to  a  blunt  point.  Unfortunately,  none  of  the  very  many  fragments  of 
pottery  recovered  from  this  mound  united  with  the  handle,  though  the  sherd 
belonging  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  bowl-part  was  found,  on  which  is  a  depression 
indicating  that  the  bowl  and  handle  formed  a  ladle  patterned  after  a  gourd. 


FIG.  132. — Vessel  No.  2.     Near  Jones  Place,  Ark.     (Height  1.9  inches.) 


FIG.  133. — Pipe  of  earthenware. 
Near  Jones  Place,  Ark.     (Full  size.) 


The  pottery  vessels  from  this  mound,  as  indicated  by  their  fragments,  are 
inferior,  and  the  decoration,  when  present,  was  carelessly  done.  A  small  cooking- 
vessel  from  this  mound  is  shown  in  Fig.  132.  Two  pipes,  however,  or  rather  part 
of  a  pipe  and  another  in  fragments  which  have  since  been  put  together  (Fig.  133), 
are  of  excellent  ware.  The  pipes  are  similar,  each  having  a  polygonal  figure  in 
relief  on  the  base. 

In  this  mound  we  have  an  interesting  example  of  cremation  of  human  remains 
and  of  the  building  of  a  mound  over  them.  There  can  be  but  little  question  that 
the  wigwam  was  burnt  over  an  area  that  later  formed  the  central  part  of  the  base 
of  the  mound,  but  we  are  unable  to  determine  whether  or  not  the  human  remains 
were  cremated  at  the  same  time.  It  is  clear,  however,  that  these  remains,  where- 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON    RED   RIVER.  633 

ever  they  were  incinerated,  were  carefully  gathered  into  a  heap  and  occupied  much 
less  space  than  they  originally  did,  and  that  over  them  and  around  them  was  piled 
some  of  the  material  left  from  the  burning  of  the  wigwam. 

MOUND  B. 

Mound  B,  the  northernmost  of  the  three  mounds,  was  circular  in  outline,  with 
a  basal  diameter  of  about  38  feet  and  a  height  of  3  feet,  approximately.  The 
mound,  however,  as  in  the  case  of  Mound  A,  presumably  had  undergone  a  deposit 
of  material  around  its  lower  parts,  which,  by  raising  the  level  of  the  surrounding 
area,  had  correspondingly  decreased  the  height  of  the  mound. 

Previous  diggers  had  made  two  considerable  trenches  in  this  mound,  without, 
however,  having  carried  them  to  a  depth  to  determine  its  nature,  even  had  they 
possessed  the  experience  to  do  so. 

There  was  put  down  by  us  in  this  mound  a  central  excavation  2o  feet  square, 
which  included  much  of  the  former  digging,  passed  beyond  it,  and  at  a  depth  of 
about  ;~>  feet  reached  the  dark  layer,  about  3  inches  in  thickness,  which  marked  the 
original  surface  of  the  ground.  On  part  of  this  layer  had  been  a  fire-place,  and 
part  of  a  grave  was  apparent,  cutting  through  the  fire-place  and  through  the  dark 
basal  layer.  The  fire-place  was  clay,  hardened  and  reddened  by  heat.  It  was 
distinctly  not  the  remains  of  a  burnt  wigwam,  but  may  have  been  the  hearth  of 
such  a  structure. 

The  grave  proved  to  have  a  length  of  10  feet  10  inches,  a  width  of  about  7 
feet,  and  a  depth  below  the  base-line  of  somewhat  more  than  8  feet. 

This  grave-pit  had  been  dug  prior  to  the  building  of  the  mound,  as  was  clearly 
shown  by  the  material  that  had  been  used  in  filling  the  pit,  which  was  mixed  and 
which  contained  many  masses  of  hard,  red  clay  from  the  fire-place,  through  part  of 
which,  as  noted,  the  pit  had  intruded. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  mound  contained  no  masses  of  burnt  clay,  but  was 
composed  of  two  or  three  layers  of  sand  and  clay  mixed,  differing  somewhat  in 
shade.  These  layers  were  intact.  Here,  then,  as  at  the  Haley  Place,  an  account 
of  which  has  been  given  in  this  report,  a  grave  had  been  dug  from  the  surface  of 
the  ground,  and,  when  filled,  a  mound  had  been  erected  over  it. 

The  grave,  in  its  major  dimension,  extended  within  two  or  three  degrees  of  N. 
and  S.  The  skeleton,  that  of  an  adult,  at  full  length  on  the  back,  had  the  head 
directed  S.  From  the  upper  surface  of  the  burial  to  the  original  surface  of  the 
ground  was  a  distance  of  7  feet  9  inches. 

This  mound,  unfortunately,  was  on  bottom-land  and  near  a  swamp  whose 
supply  of  water  depended  on  Red  river,  which  at  the  time  of  our  visit  was  in  flood. 
The  depth  at  which  the  skeleton  lay  was  below  water  level.  While  the  foregoing 
data  as  to  the  burial  were  being  obtained,  part  of  the  wall  of  the  excavation  caved 
in  and  the  lower  part  of  the  pit  filled  with  water. 

Although  an  additional  day,  with  a  force  of  sixteen  men,  was  devoted  to  reach 
ing  the  burial  again,  the  quicksand  entered  the  lower  part  of  the  digging  faster  than 

80  JOUEN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIV. 


634 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED  RIVER. 


the  material  could  be  removed,  so  that  all  that  was  recovered  from  the  burial  were 
parts  of  three  vessels  of  earthenware  from  near  the  feet,  which  were  come  upon  at 
arms  length  through  the  sand  and  water.  One  of  these,  shown  in  Fig.  134,  more 
complete  than  the  others,  has  been  put  together. 

As  the  river  was  rising  rapidly  and  the  How  of  quicksand  was  increasing,  and 
the  walls  of  the  excavation  were  falling,  we  were  compelled,  with  great  reluctance, 
to  abandon  our  efforts  to  uncover  the  burial. 


FIG.  134. — Vessel  of  earthenware.     Mound  B,  near  Jones  Place,  Ark.     (Height  4.8  inches.) 


MOUND  C. 

Mound  C,  the  easternmost  of  the  group,  was  irregularly  circular  in  outline, 
with  a  diameter  of  40  feet.  Its  height,  measured  from  the  surface,  was  2  feet. 
An  excavation  7  feet  by  11  feet  in  the  central  part  of  the  mound  was  carried  to  a 
depth  of  about  5  feet.  No  sign  of  burial  was  encountered,  and  the  last  two  feet  of 
the  excavation  was  carried  through  clear,  yellow  sand  without  sign  of  disturbance. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL    SITES   ON    RED    RIVER. 


635 


MOORE  PLACE,  MILLER  COUNTY,  AHK. 

The  Moore  Place,  still  another  of  the  plantations  which  Mr.  Henry  Moore,  Jr., 
of  Texarkana,  Ark.,  so  courteously  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  Academy  for 
investigation,  was  visited  by  us  with  the  cordial  consent  of  Mr.  Floyd  Thompson, 
of  Texarkana,  its  lessee. 

Beside  the  road  which  passes  the  Moore  Place,  on  the  western  side,  is  the 
remainder  of  a  mound,  part  of  which  has  been  cut  away  by  the  road  and  part  on 
the  opposite  side  has  been  leveled  through  cultivation.  This  remainder  of  a  mound 
had  a  height  of  4  feet,  a  diameter  of  about  60  feet.  It  was  composed  of  clay  and 
sand,  the  sand  predominating. 


FIG.  135.— Vessel  So.  3.     Moore  Place,  Ark.    (Height  4.5  inches.) 

The  mound  presumably  had  been  circular,  with  a  summit-plateau  about  28 
feet  in  diameter,  which  still  remained.  Into  this  plateau  were  put  fourteen  trial- 
holes,  some  of  which  were  considerably  enlarged. 

Three  burials  were  encountered,  two  being  of  children  (Burials  Nos.  1  and  3) 
at  a  depth  of  3  feet  4  inches.  One  of  these  burials  had  cut  through  the  other  in 
part,  breaking  some  of  the  vessels  that  were  with  it. 


636  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON   KED   RIVER. 

The  third  burial  (No.  2),  the  skeleton  of  an  adult  at  full  length  on  the  back, 
lay  at  a  depth  of  4  feet,  the  head  directed  NW.  by  N.  This  burial  was  without 
accompanying  artifacts,  a  very  unusual  condition  in  the  case  of  aboriginal  burials 
in  this  region. 

Burial  No.  1  had  at  the  right  shoulder  a  small  bottle  with  a  faint,  trailed 
decoration  on  the  body  and  extending  over  the  neck.  At  the  outer  side  of  the  left 
humerus  was  a  bowl,  and  at  the  outer  side  of  the  right  femur  a  small  cooking-pot 
carefully  decorated  with  trailed  and  incised  line-work  (Fig.  135). 

Near  the  skull  of  this  burial  were  :  a  shell  hoe  (Unio  trapezoides]  having  the 
usual  perforation;  part  of  the  lower  jaw  of  a  deer,  such  as  is  described  as  having 
been  used  by  the  Iroquois  for  scraping  maize  from  the  cob.  There  was  considerable 
midden-debris  with  these  objects,  and  their  presence  near  the  burial  may  have  been 
accidental. 

Burial  No.  3,  that  of  a  child,  which  we  have  described  as  an  aboriginal  dis 
turbance,  had  with  it  four  vessels,  three  badly  broken,  the  fourth  an  undecorated 
pot  without  a  rim. 

Careful  observation  failed  to  distinguish  grave-pits  in  the  body  of  the  mound. 
Presumably  the  mound  originally  was  not  so  high  as  our  measurement  made  it,  the 
measurement  perhaps  being  taken  from  a  depression.  In  this  event  one  may  sup 
pose  that  shallow  burials  dug  from  the  original  surface  had  a  low  mound  built  over 
them. 

A  few  yards  east  of  the  mound  just  described  was  an  irregular  rise  in  a  culti 
vated  field,  'about  2  feet  in  height  and  50  feet  in  diameter.  This  evidently  had 
been  a  dwelling-site,  as  bits  of  pottery  and  fragments  of  flint  were  scattered  over 
the  surface.  Considerable  digging  at  this  place,  however,  failed  to  come  upon 
burials,  although  fire-places  were  discovered. 

In  the  cultivated  field  in  sight  in  an  ENE.  direction  from  the  two  places 
described,  itself  under  cultivation,  was  a  mound,  circular  in  outline,  with  a  basal 
diameter  of  about  65  feet.  Its  height  was  slightly  less  than  6  feet. 

A  central  hole  8  feet  by  9  feet  and  with  a  minimum  depth  of  6  feet,  was  car 
ried  to  a  considerably  greater  depth  in  places.  The  mound  proved  to  be  of  the 
same  material  throughout,  a  yellow-brown  mixture  of  clay  and  sand,  largely  sand. 
No  indication  of  grave-pits  was  noted,  nor  was  bone  or  artifact  encountered. 

Near  this  mound  were  two  rises  of  the  ground  having  superficial  indications  of 
former  aboriginal  occupancy,  though  our  digging  in  them  yielded  no  return. 

On  the  edge  of  the  field,  and  in  sight  from  the  mound  last  described,  was  the 
remainder  of  a  mound,  originally  low,  which  had  been  reduced  by  cultivation,  and 
into  which  a  large  hole  had  been  dug.  Careful  digging  into  this  mound  was  likewise 
fruitless. 


SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES  ON   RED   RIVER. 

MOUNDS  ON  THE  SUMMEKHILL  PLACE,  BOM-IE  COUNTY,  TEXAS. 


637 


There  are  said  to  be  three  mounds  of  fair  size  on  this  place  (which  does  not 
take  its  name  from  the  present  owner),  about  one  mile  back  from  the  river.  As  we 
were  unwilling  to  accede  to  the  owner's  condition  that  every  object  found  during 
the  investigation  should  become  his  property,  the  mounds  were  not  dug  into  by  us. 


MOUNDS  ON  THE  MOORES  PLACE,  BOWIE  COUNTY,  TEXAS. 

On  the  Moores  Place  are  two  mounds  of  moderate  size,  on  one  of  which  were 
two  buildings.  The  other  mound  had  been  very  largely  dug  into.  Although  the 
owner  of  the  property,  Mr.  E.  H.  Moores,  who  resides  upon  it,  was  willing  to  per 
mit  investigation,  it  was  decided  not  to  attempt  it  under  the  circumstances. 


FIG.  13(i.— Pipes  with  horizontal  projections:  others  showing  these  projections  turned  vertically.     (Full  size.) 


638  SOME   ABORIGINAL   SITES   ON   RED   RIVER. 

MOUND  ON  THE  SANDERS  PLACE,  BOWIE  COUNTY,  TEXAS. 

On  the  Sanders  Place,  formerly  known  as  the  James  Place,  is  a  mound  about 
15  feet  in  height.  The  owner  of  this  place  was  not  within  reach  and  the  tenant 
did  not  care  to  assume  responsibility  of  permitting  investigation. 

Thirty-seven  miles  by  water,  above  Fulton,  somewhat  farther  up  Red  river  than 
the  place  last  referred  to,  our  investigation  of  the  antiquities  of  Red  river  ended. 

Numerous  earthenware  pipes  found  in  the  mound  at  the  Haley  Place,  Ark.,  as 
set  forth  in  this  report,  have  continuations  of  the  stems  projecting  horizontally 
beyond  the  bowls  which  projections,  as  we  have  said,  probably  bring  the  pipes  into 
the  platform,  or  "monitor"  class. 

On  pipes  from  the  McClure  Place,  and  the  Foster  Place,  Ark.  (sites  somewhat 
farther  up  Red  river  than  the  Haley  Place),  these  projections  are  seen  turned  up 
vertically  against  the  bowls  of  the  pipes,  as  shown  in  the  accounts  of  these  places. 

For  fuller  comparison,  in  Fig.  136  are  shown  :  A,  a  pipe  from  the  Haley  Place; 
£,  a  pipe  from  the  McClure  Place ;  C,  a  pipe  from  the  Haley  Place ;  D,  a  pipe  from 
the  Foster  Place. 

E,  a  pipe  from  the  Foster  Place,  shows  where  the  projection,  turned  vertically, 
has  become  conventionalized  and  is  hardly  more  than  an  indication. 


KEPORT   ON   SKELETAL    REMAINS   FROM   A   MOUND   ON   HALEY 
PLACE,   NEAR   RED   RIVER,   MILLER  COUNTY,   ARKANSAS. 

BY  Du.  ALKS  HKDI.ICKA. 

The  skeletal  remains  submitted  to  the  writer  by  Mr.  Clarence  B.  Moore  for 
examination  were  marked  "  Burial  5  "  and  "  Burial  9,"  Haley  Mound,  Red  river, 
Miller  County,  Arkansas.  They  consist  of  two  skulls  with  their  lower  jaws  and 
parts  of  one  of  the  skeletons. 

The  specimens  show  yellowish-brown  discoloration.  They  are  not  perceptibly 
minerali/ed,  and  all  the  bones  contain  some  animal  matter.  The  left  humerus  of 
the  skeleton  from  Burial  9  shows  at  its  middle  a  large  patch  stained  green,  the 
result  of  decomposed  copper  (or  brass) . 

The  two  subjects  were  plainly  male  adults,  and  the  skulls  are  both  artificially 
deformed,  the  deformation  being  of  the  "Flathead"  variety.  The  deformation  is 
exactly  such  as  is  seen  in  four  crania  from  mounds  on  the  McClure  Place,  near  Red 
River,  Miller  County,  Ark.,  which  came  from  Mr.  Moore  in  the  same  consignment; 
and  it  is  also  identical  in  type  with  that  exhibited  in  numerous  skulls  from  Arkansas 
and  Louisiana  collected  by  Mr. 
Moore  on  former  expeditions.1 

Owing  to  the  artificial  de 
formation,  which  is  quite  pro 
nounced,  the  original  form  of  the 
skulls  is  not  ascertainable.  It 
is  evident,  however,  that  both 
belonged  to  individuals  of  strong 
muscular  development  and  of 
probably  more  than  medium  sta 
ture  ;  the  latter  conclusion  is  sub 
stantiated  by  the  dimensions  of 
the  remnants  of  long  and  other 
bones  belonging  to  Burial  No.  9, 
the  cranium  of  which  is  shown  in 
Fig.  1. 

The  skulls  (which  now  bear 
numbers  272,543  and  272,544  U. 
S.  N.  M.)  show  a  good  internal 
capacity,  that  of  Burial  No.  9  (272,543)  reaching  1600  c.c.,  Burial  No.  5  (272,544) 
which  is  slightly  less  capacious,  is  damaged  and  exact  measurement  in  this  respect 
is  not  possible. 

1  Report  on  a  Collection  of  Crania  from  Arkansas.  Journ.  Aead.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  Vol.  XIII, 
11)08,  pp.  558-563. 

Report  on  an  Additional  Collection  of  Skeletal  Remains  from  Arkansas  and  Louisiana.  Journ. 
Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  Vol.  XIV,  1909,  pp.  173-240,  9  Figs. 


FIG.  1. — Skull,     liurial  No.  9.     Mound  on  the  Haley  Place,  Ark. 


640  REPORT    ON    SKELETAL    REMAINS,    HALEY    PLACE. 

The  various  anthropologic  features  of  the  skulls,  so  far  as  they  have  not  been 
altered  by  the  deformation,  show  the  prevailing  characteristics  of  Indian  crania  of 
the  neighboring  regions,  so  far  as  is  known  from  Mr.  Moore's  former  explorations. 
The  orbits  are  of  medium  or  slightly  above  medium  height;  the  nasal  aperture  is 
mesorhynic ;  the  nasal  spine  is  very  low  ;  the  upper  alveolar  process  is  rather  high 
and  quite  markedly  prognathic.  The  palates  are  large,  and  the  mandibuliv  strongly 
developed,  indicating  powerful  muscles  of  mastication  and  considerable  use  of  the 
jaws. 

Skull  272,543  was  that  of  an  aged  individual ;  it  shows  advanced  obliteration 
of  the  sutures  of  the  vault,  and  also  the  loss  of  all  the  teeth  with  the  exception  of 
one  of  the  lower  canines  and  one  upper  molar.  The  teeth,  however,  were  not  lost 
through  senility.  The  free  borders  of  the  dental  arches  present  throughout  signs 
of  an  inflammatory  process,  and  it  was  probably  this  which  led  in  the  main  to  the 
loss  of  the  teeth,  to  the  pronounced  scarring,  and  in  the  posterior  parts  of  the  upper 
arch  to  some  thickening. 

On  the  left  side  and  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  nasal  aperture  of 
skull  272,543  there  is  seen,  on  the  surface  of  the  left  upper  maxilla,  a  marked 
swelling  which,  on  closer  examination,  is  found  to  consist  of  hypertrophy  of  the 
bone  about  the  root  of  an  impacted  tooth,  possibly  the  left  upper  canine;  traces  of 
the  crown  of  this  tooth  are  visible  in  the  edge  of  the  dental  process  below. 

Skull  272,544  belonged  to  an  adult  about  50  years  of  age.  In  this  specimen 
most  of  the  teeth  are  preserved,  though  showing  advanced  wear. 

Neither  of  the  crania,  nor  any  of  the  bones  that  accompany  them,  show  signs 
of  injury  in  life,  or  of  disease,  with  the  exception  of  the  remnants  of  the  lumbar 
vertebra^  from  burial  Number  9.  The  bodies  of  these  vertebra1  (particularly  those 
of  the  third  and  fifth)  show  pronounced  marginal  exostoses,  and  that  of  the  third 
shows  in  addition  plain  traces  of  branched  fracture  in  the  anterior  part  of  its  upper 
surface.  The  bone  was  evidently  weakened  through  senile  changes  and  fractured 
by  some  sudden  increase  in  weight,  or  a  shock,  from  above. 

The  remnants  of  the  long-bones  show  no  features  worthy  of  special  mention. 
The  left  humerus  measures  33.1  cm.  in  length,  its  maximum  and  minimum  diame 
ters  at  middle  being  2.35  and  1.85  cm.  The  left  tibia  measures,  at  middle,  antero- 
posteriorly,  3.4  cm.  ;  laterally,  2.5  cm.  A  comparison  of  these  remains  with  those 
from  the  McClure  mounds  shows  dissimilarity  in  color,  the  specimens  from  the 
latter  site  being  somewhat  lighter;  otherwise  the  bones  present  close  relationship. 
The  difference  in  color  does  not  necessarily  indicate  difference  in  age. 

The  collection  includes  also  two  crania  marked  "  Mound  A,  near  L'Eau  Noire 
Bayou,  Avoyelles  Parish,  La.  (Red  River),  Burials  33  and  35."  These  two  speci 
mens  differ  to  some  extent  from  both  of  those  from  the  Haley  Place  and  from  those 
of  the  McClure  mounds.  They  exhibit  only  slight  fronto-occipital  compression,  and 
permit  the  recognition  of  a  subdolichocephalic  or  dolichocephalic  type.  It  is  quite 
possible  that  these  crania  belonged  to  people  of  a  tribe  different  from  that  to  which 
the  two  lots  mentioned  above  pertained.  The  skeletons  from  the  Haley  Place  and 
the  McClure  mounds  may  probably  be  safely  ascribed  to  an  extension  of  the  Nat 
chez  people.1 

1  Compare  Swanton,  J.  R.,  Indian  Tribes  of  the  Lower  Mississippi  Valley,  etc.  Bulletin  43, 
Bureau  of  American  Ethnology,  Washington,  1911. 


INDEX. 


Agce.    \V.    1'..    of    Hope,   Ark.,   on 

find  of  flint  "drills,"  5(79. 
Alligator    teeth    used    as    pendants, 

548- 

Alligator  tooth  with  burial,  491. 

Arrowheads    of    rock-crystal,    536, 

547- 
Arrowlieads  of  unusual  shape,  491, 

533-  537-  33_8.  5-M-  594-  <tfi- 
Atchafalaya  river,  483. 

Banner-stone  of  crystal,  548. 

Battle  Place,  566. 

Dead  of  galena,  51 1. 

Head  of  marble.  597. 

Bead  of  red  jasper,  507. 

Bead  of  shell,  copper-coated.  514. 

Bead  of  shell,  large,  on  head  of 
skeleton.  530,  535,  547. 

Beads  of  glass,  507. 

Heads  of  shell,  503.  514,  530,  531, 
535-  537-  539.  54°.  54L  543-  545- 
583.  5<A 

Bicave  of  sandstone.  491. 

Blade  of  flint,  leaf-shaped,  un 
usually  thin,  599. 

Boat-stone,    513. 

Boggy   Bayou,  mound  near,  509. 

Bone  implements,  505.  509,  519, 
523-  524.  534-  536.  537-  543-  548, 

587,  595,  630- 
Bone  pins,  512,  519,  534,  595,  597, 

630,  631. 

Bone  pin  with  head  in  the  form  of 
a  celt  in  a  handle,  630,  631. 

Bottle  of  unusual  beauty  of  deco 
ration,  556. 

Bottle,  quadrilateral,  556,  612. 

Bottles   of   unusual   size,   533,   537, 

553- 


Briar   Bend  Landing,  mound  near. 

510. 
By  ram  Ferry,  mounds  near.  525. 

Cabinas  Place,  573. 

Canine    tooth    of    carnivore,    shell 

imitation  of,  530.  539.  540. 
Cedar  Bluff  Plantation,  mounds  on, 

525- 
Celt,  503,  506.  5T2.  532,  536,  538, 

539-  543-  548,  583-  r'2i.  622. 
Cemeteries,    aboriginal,    rare    along 

Red  river,  484. 
Ceremonial  axe  of  unusual  length, 

53i- 

Ceremonial  axe  with  double  cut 
ting-edge,  539. 

Ceremonial    axes,    511,    514,    531, 

532.  533-  539-  595-  597-  <\y- 

Ceremonial  breakage  and  scatter 
ing  of  artefacts,  497,  631,  632. 

Ceremonial  "killing"  of  pottery 
vessel,  498. 

Chisel,  519,  536,  540. 

Coating  of  pigment,  with  incised 
decoration  on  pottery,  559,  561, 
609. 

Col  fax,  mound  near,  508. 

Compound  forms  of  vessels,  569, 
570,  578,  580,  612. 

Cooking-vessels  carefully  made. 
along  Red  river  in  Arkansas, 
487. 

Copper  ear-ornaments,  511. 

Copper,  sheet-,  ornament,  512,  513. 
514,  622. 

Cord  decoration  in  relief  on  pot 
tery-  553-  556.  557- 

Course  of  Red  river,  483. 


Cremations,    4</>.    4^7,    510,    511, 

523.  583.  r>23-  629.  frp,  032- 

Crenshaw   Place,  mounds  on,  620. 

Cross  and  circle  decoration  on  pot 
tery,  495.  559. 

Crystal,  banner-stone  of,  548. 

Cylinder  of  elmwood,  copper-coat 
ed.  5'3- 

Daniels   Place,  mounds  on,  628. 

Decoration,  incised,  with  coating  of 
pigment,  559,  561,  609. 

Decoration  of  raised  cords  on  pot 
tery.  553-  55^.  557- 

Deposits   of    flints,    519,   521. 

Diggs  Bluff  Landing,  mound  near, 
526. 

Discoidal  stone,  491,  503. 

Disk  of  wood,  copper-coated,  514. 

Disks  of  shell  with  copper  bosses, 

53'.  535-  537-  540,  547- 

Distinctive  earthenware  from  Ga- 
hagan,  La..  521. 

Dooley  Ferry,  mound  near,  620. 

Double  interment,  at  Haley  Place, 
536. 

Douglass,   Andrew    E.,   548. 

Drinking-cup  made  from  Mitrcx 
spinacosta,  597. 

Drinking-cup  of  shell,  drilled  for 
horizontal  suspension,  538.  5^7. 

Drinking-cup  of  shell,  with  incised 
decoration,  597. 

Drinking-cup  of  shell,  with  part  re 
paired,  586. 

Dunn   Place,  dwelling-site  on,  509. 

Du  Pratz  as  to  cremation  by  Louis 
iana  tribes.  4(/>. 

Du  Pratz  as  to  ear-ornaments  of 
shell.  599. 


642 


INDEX. 


Ear-ornaments  in  the  form  of  shell  Glauconite  used  as  green  pigment. 


pins.  586,  597,  599. 
Ear-ornaments   of   copper,   511. 


539,  594.  599,  603,  605,  606,  607, 
608. 


Ear-ornaments   of    limestone,    cop-  Gorgets  of   shell,   599. 

per-coated,   599,   601.  Grave-pits     of     remarkable     depth 

Ear-plugs    of    earthenware.    507.  along  Red  river  in  Arkansas,  487, 

Ear-plugs  of  shell,  599,  631. 
Earthenware    bottle    with    striking 


5-28,  530,  533,  535.  536,  538.  540, 

543-  544-  S^1,  59-2-  633. 
Grave-pits    of    unusual    depth     in 
mound   at   Gahagan,   La.,   512. 


decoration,  556. 

Earthenware  vessels — see    Vessels. 

Earthenware  vessels,    new    variety  Group  of  stone  implements,  599. 

of.  603. 


Earthenware    vessels    with    decora- 


Haley  Place,  mounds  on.  527. 


tion  representing  cords,  553,  556,   Harrel  Place,  573. 

rr-,  Hatchet  of  basanite,  with  marks  of 

.Effigy-pipe    of    earthenware,    with       handle,   534. 

passageway  from  bowl  to  mouth  I  Hatchet,   smeared   with   glauconite, 

of  figure,  515.  539- 

Effigy-pipe    of    limestone,    545.          Haynes  Place,  mounds  on,  581. 
Egypt  Place,  mounds  on,  566.  Head-band  of  strung  Olivella  shells, 

Eight-pointed      star       ornamenting 

copper-coated  ear-disks,  foi.  Hematite  pendant,   500. 

Exploration   of    Red    river   by    the  Hematite,  pigment,  506. 

Hightower   Landing,    mound   near, 

526. 

Fewkes    Dr         Walter    516  oe>  ma(^e  from  fresh-water  shell, 

Flint   implement   broken   in   manu-       537,  ^30. 

facture.  notched  for  repairs,  599.  Hodge,  F.  W.,  487. 
Flint,  leaf-shaped  blade  of,  unusual-  Hone  of  sandstone,  519,  532,  534, 

ly  thin,  599.  541-  543- 

Flints,  deposits  of,  519,  521.  Hrdlicka,  Dr.  Ales,  487,  493.  536. 


French,  484. 


Foods  deposited  with  burials,  593. 
Foster,  L.  A.,  of  Hope,  Ark.,  own 
er  of  the  Foster  Place,  591. 
Foster  Place,  mounds  on,   591. 
Friday  Place,  mounds  on,  584. 


Hrdlicka,   Dr.   Ales,   his   report  on 
skeletal  remains,  639. 


Imitation  of  canine  tooth  of  carni 
vore.  530,  539,  540. 

Implements  of  bone,  505,  509,  519, 
523-  524.  534-  536,  537,  543,  548, 

5'S7,  595,  630. 

Galena,  as  a  pigment,  use  discussed,  T      ,  ,  r 

Implements    of    stone,    groups    of, 

5H. 
Galena,  bead  of,  511. 


Gahagan,  mound  at,  511. 


599- 
Imported    vessel,    from    SE.    Mis- 


Galena,  mass  of,  with  burial,  514.         sourlt  532,  550. 
Glass  beads,  507.  Introduction!  483' 

Glauconite,    mortuary    use    of,    on 

pottery  at  the  Foster  Place,  Ark.,  Jaw,     human     lower,     probably     a 

594,  605,  606.  607,  608.  trophy,  532. 

Glauconite    smeared    upon    hatchet,   Jaw,   human,    showing   osteitis  de- 

539.  ,      fonnans,  524. 


Jaw    of    deer,    used    for    removing 

maize  from  the  cob,  636. 
Johnson  Place,  cemetery  on,  501. 
Jones   Place,   mounds   near,  629. 

Keeley,  F.  J.,  487. 

Keller,   Dr.'  II.   F.,  487,   514,   531, 

537,  539.  540,  54'-  545,  548,  594, 

595,  63». 

Keller  Place,  mound  on,  489. 
"Killing."  ceremonial,  of  a  pottery 

vessel,  498. 

Laborde    Place,   mound   on,   504. 

Lacroix   Place,  mound  on,  508. 

Ladle  of  pottery,  with  long  handle, 
632. 

L'Eau  Noire  Bayou,  mounds  near 
mouth  of.  492. 

Leaf-shaped  blade  of  flint,  unusual 
ly  thin,  599. 

Leg-symbol   on   pottery.   498. 

Life-forms  in  pottery,  '572>  575, 
612,  625,  632. 

Lizard-like  pendant  of  limestone, 
copper-coated,  599. 

Lizard-like  pendant  of  slate,  587. 

Lizard-like  pendants  of  shell,  599. 

Lizards  modeled  in  relief  on  earth 
enware  vessel,  625. 

Lucas,  Prof.  F.  A.,  487,  547,  575, 
593- 

Manganese,  oxide  of.  used  as  pig 
ment,  541. 

Map,  482. 

Marble  bead,  597. 

Matting  imprinted  on  wasps'  nests 
of  clay,  497. 

Mayer  Place,  mound  on,  503. 

Middle  Mississippi  region  grave- 
gifts  compared  with  Red  river 
burials,  486. 

Miller,  Dr.  M.  G..  487. 

Modification  of  projections  on 
pipes  of  the  "monitor"'  class,  576, 
638. 

Moncla,  mound  at,  504. 

Monokeramic  pipes  of  unusual 
length,  531,  532,  549,  550. 


INDEX. 


643 


Moore,  Jr.,  Henry,  of  Texarkana, 
Ark.,  owner  of  the  Battle  Place, 
the  Friday  Place,  and  other  plan 
tations  investigated  by  us,  5(16, 
5X4,  59  r,  635. 

Moore  Place,  635. 

Moore    Place,  mound  on,  591. 

Moores  Place,  mound  on,  637. 

Mortuary  use  of  glauconite,  a 
green  pigment,  on  pottery  at  the 
Foster  Place,  Ark.,  594,  605,  606, 
607,  fio8. 

Mound   built   over   a   single   burial, 

583. 

Mounds,  nature  of,  484. 

Mussel-shells  perforated  for  sus 
pension.  503,  576. 

McClure    Place,   mounds  on,   574. 

Natchez  tribe,  485,  640. 
Norman     Landing,    mounds     near, 
500. 

Old  river,  483. 

Ornaments    of    sheet-copper,    512, 

513,   514,  622. 
Ornaments  of  shell,  507,  530,  531, 

53-2-  534,  53f>,  537-  538-  540.  54i, 

54-'-   543-   547,   5^6,   587,   597- 
Owners  of  mounds  and  sites,  thanks 

to,  487. 

Pearls  used  as  beads,  530,  535,  540, 

547,  59"- 
Pebbles,  heaps  of,  from  rattles,  494, 

506. 

Peccary,  bones  of,  547. 
Pendant,      grooved,      pear-shaped, 

494- 

Pendant,  of  hematite,   500. 
Pendant  of  limestone,  copper-coat 
ed,  in   form  of  lizard,   599. 
Pendant  of  slate,  in  form  of  lizard. 

587. 
Pendants     made     from     alligators' 

teeth,  548. 
Pendants   of    shell,    530,    539,    540, 

597,  599- 


Pendants  of  shell,  in  form  of  liz 
ards,  599. 

Penicaut,  his  visit  to  Red  river. 
484.  485- 

Pickett  Landing,  mounds  near,  524. 

Pigment,  its  use  on  pottery  along 
Red  river  in  Arkansas,  486. 

Pigment,  purple,  its  method  of 
manufacture,  531.  548. 

Pigment     with    burials,    491,    494, 

497-  5°r>,  5 19-  53',  537,  539,  54°. 

541,  542,  543,  545,  548,  585,  587, 

594,  5^,  604,  622,  023. 
Pilsbry,  Dr.  H.  A.,  487. 
Pin  of  bone,  in  the  form  of  a  celt 

in  a  handle,  630,  T^r. 
Pins   of   bone.    512,   519.    534.   51)5. 

597-  63°.  631. 
Pins   of   shell,   ear-ornaments,   586, 

597.  599- 
Pins  of  shell,   with  circular  heads. 

540. 

Pipe,  effigy,  of  earthenware,  515. 
Pipe   of    different    shape    from    all 

others  found  at  the  Haley   Place 

mound,  541. 

Pipe  of  limestone,  effigy,  545. 
Pipe  of   "monitor"  class.   495. 
Pipes,  495,  505,  515.  528,  531,  532, 

534-  535,  53f>.  538,  539,  541,  543, 

545,  547.  548.  549,  576,  594.  '>3-'. 
638. 

1'ipes.      monokeramic.      from      the 

Haley  Place,  description  of,  549, 

55°. 
Pipes,    monokeramic,    of     unusual 

length.  531.  532,   549.  550. 
Pipes    related    to    "monitor"    class, 

from  Red  river  in  Arkansas,  549. 

576,   594.  638. 
Pipes  vertically  placed,  bowl  down. 

531-  53".  539,  543- 

Pipe  with  unusual  interior  shoul 
der.  576.  594. 

Pit.  great,  in  Haley   Place  mound, 

544- 

Plan  of  graves,  mound  on  Haley 
Place,  Ark..  529. 


Plan   of   mounds.  Crenshaw   Place, 

Ark.,  621. 
Polychrome   decoration  exceptional 

on   pottery  of   Red   river  in  Ar- 

kan-vis,  480.  MIO. 
Polychrome  decoration  on  pottery, 

6 10. 
Pottery    from    Foster   Place,    Ark., 

601. 
Pottery,    methods    of    placing,     in 

graves  at  the  Foster  Place,  Ark., 

593- 
Pottery    not    abundant    along    Red 

river  in   Louisiana.  486. 
Pottery  of   Red   river  in  Arkansas 

abundant ;    its    character.    486. 
Pottery  of  Red  river  in   Arkansas 

compared     with     that    of     other 

parts   of    the    state.   486. 
Purple     pigment,     its     method     of 

manufacture,   531,    548. 

Quadrilateral  bottles.  556,  612. 

Quadrilateral  vessel,  627. 

Quartz   crystals   with    burials,    530, 

540.  545,  548. 

Quartz  crystals,  fragments  of,  with 
burial,  536. 

Rattles,  41^4.  5 '4-  537-  548,  622. 
Rattles    contained    in    vessels,    585, 

589,  603.  604. 
Raybon.  Capt.   L  S.,  483.  484.  485, 

487. 

Red  jasper,  bead  of,  507. 
Red  Lake,  mounds  near,  564. 
Red    oxide    of    iron,    with    burials, 

491.  4')4-  497-  5o6.  519-  53i,  539, 

541,  548.  599. 

Red   river,  its  course,  483. 

Racoon,  penis-bone  of,  524. 

Remarks  as  to  mound  on  Haley 
Place.  561. 

Repair  of  implement,  broken  in 
manufacture,  599. 

Repairs  to  shell  drinking-cup,  586. 

Report  on  skeletal  remains  from  a 
mound  on  Haley  Place,  near  Red 
river.  Miller  Co..  Arkansas,  by 
Dr.  Ales  Hrdlicka.  639. 


644  INDEX. 

Restoration  of  pottery,  our  method.   Sites  investigated.  488.  Yanatta.  E.  G..  487. 

_jg-.  Sites    on    Red    river    in    Arkansas .  Vessel     imported     from     Missouri, 

Rodriguez  Place,  mound  on.  507.         deeply   interesting,   485.  532,  550. 

Sites    on    Red    river    in    Louisiana   Vessel,  ''killed,"  498. 

Saline  Point,  lower  mound  on,  495.,      ]argeiy  unproductive,  485.  Vessel,  quadrilateral,  627. 

Saline  Point,  upper  mound  on.  496. 1  six-pointed  star  of  sandstone,  532. '  Vessel  with  leg-symbol,  498. 
Sanders    Place,   mound   on,   638.       Skeletal   remains   described  by   Dr.   Vessels    ceremonially    broken    and 
Serpent     motif     on     pottery.     498,       Hrdlicka,  487.  scattered,  497,  631,  632. 

5°4-  Star,     eight-pointed,     ornamenting  Vessels,  new  variety  of,  603. 

Sheet-copper   ornaments.   512,   513,       copper-coated   ear-disks.   601.          Vessels    of    compound    form,    569, 

5'4-  fi22-  Star,  six-pointed,  of  sandstone,  532.       570,  578.  580,  612. 

Shell  beads,  503,  514.  530,  531.  535,!  stone    implements,    double-pointed.  Vessels,    painted   and    with    incised 

537-  539-  54°'  541-  543-  545-  5°3-       group  of,  599.  decoration,  559,  561,  609. 

5(/'-  Sudworth.  Prof.  Geo.   !>.,  513.  Vessels,    showing    life-forms,    572, 

Shell  bead,  large,  on  head  of  skele-   Sulphur  river,  mound  near.  527.  575,  612.  625,  632. 

ton.  530,  535.  547.  Summerhill  Place,  mounds  on.  637.  Vessels  with  cross  and  circle  deco- 

Shell  cup  drilled  for  horizontal  sus-   Sun-symbols  on   pottery,   553.   556, ;      ration,  495,  559. 

pension,  538,  597.  ^9,  576,  578,  602.  605,  606,  607.  Vessels  with   included  rattles,   585, 

589,  603,  604. 

Vessels    showing    mortuary    treat 
ment   with   glauconite,   594,   605. 


Shell  cup  made  from  Mwcx  spina-   Sunny   Point,  mound  at,  524. 

costa.  597.  Swastika,  T»2.  605. 

Shell   cup   with   incised   decoration, 


597-  Tassenogoula,     their     village     not       fx/>.  607,  r>o8. 

Shell  disks  with  copper  bosses.  531,       identified,   484.   501.  Vessels    with    polychrome    decora- 

535-  537'  54°'  547-  Taylortown,  mound  near,  523.  tion.   610. 

Shell    drinking-cup    with    part    re-  Tempering  of  pottery,  486,  497.         Vessels    with    raised    cord-decora- 
paired,  586.  Territory  investigated,  483,  484.  tion,  553,  556,  557. 
Shell  ear-plugs,  599,  631.                     Thompson  Place,  mound  on.  525.     Vessels  with  sun-symbols.  553,  556, 
Shell  gorgets,   599.                                  Treasure  buried,  ignorant  belief  in,        559,  576,  578,  602,  605,  606,  607. 
Shell   imitation  of  canine  tooth   of       ^o^ 

carnivore.  530.  539.  540.  Triskele.  fxx2. 

Shell  pendants,  530,  539,  540,  597,  Wardle,  H.  N.,  487. 

599.  Unique  effigy-pipe  of  earthenware,  Weir.  S.  G..  487. 

Shell  pins,  ear-ornaments,  586,  597,       515.  Wigwam    burned    with    body.    630, 

599.  j  Unique     variety     of     earthenware       632. 

Shell  pins  with  circular  heads,  540.       pipes,  at  the   Haley  Place,  Ark.,  Williams  Place,  mounds  on,  566. 
Shell  ornaments,  507.  530.  531,  532,        550.  Willoughby,  Charles  C.,  602,  603. 

534'  53(')'  537-  53^.  54°-  541-  542>  Unusual    feature  on   pipe  of   lime-  Willoughby,  Charles  C.,  as  to  sym- 

543.  547'  586-  587.  597-  stone,  545.  bols  on  pottery  of  Red  river  in 

Shell,  small  objects  of,  their  prob-  Unusual  interior  shoulder,  in  pipes,        Arkansas,  602. 

able  use,  532,  538,  542.  576,  594.  Wooden    cylinders,    copper-coated. 

Shoulder,    unusual,    in    pipe,    570.   Unusual   shanks  on  ear-disks,  599.       513. 

594.  601.  Wooden  disk,  copper-copted,  514. 


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